Heels Over Head
by am1thirteen
Summary: The truth that he has been dreaming all along has been the most shocking news to Yuuri... until he reveals the fact that he has been transferred in to a world where Conrad replaces Wolfram's place as his... ConradYuuri. Completed. Edited.
1. Chapter 1

HEELS OVER HEAD

Chapter One

A ConYuu Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **thisissong**

Alternate Universe, since I have no idea what happens after episode 34. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

Yuuri lazily opened his eyes as the soft morning breeze blew into his room. Sitting up on his bed, the king rubbed his eyes a few times, using the time to gather his thoughts. Now… where was he?

When the blurred sight of his huge chamber started to become sharper, the intense sunrays from his opened window stung his eyes, making him wince as he closed them again. Once, twice, he blinked, adjusting his eyes to the sunny day. After the fifth blink, he could finally open his eyes wide.

The scenery outside the window captivated him.

He never knew that there was a flower garden there. It had been plain grass before.

Yuuri stood up, almost tripping on the blanket that was tangled around his foot. Fortunately, he was balanced enough to land on the floor steadily. Ignoring everything else, he curiously approached the big window. Supporting his body with only his arms, he pushed his upper body out of the window. The chilly breeze made him blink once more, before he opened his eyes widely, staring at the beautiful scene in front of him unbelievingly.

"Wow!" Yuuri gasped in amazement, "When did they build this?"

After getting his feet back on the carpeted floor of his room, he came to realize that his room looked a bit different too. The color of the wallpaper was different, and the curtains looked unusual too. His blanket, his bedcover and his pillows also looked different. Although the shape of the room still looked the same, Yuuri still had doubts if the room was really his. Just when he started to panic, a familiar person entered the room, much to his relief.

"Conrad!"

Conrad looked quite surprised when his king suddenly ran to him with an anxious face. Almost reflexively, he reached for his sword and scanned the room warily. He never had a chance to swing his sword as Yuuri pulled his arm.

"Conrad! Where am I? This is my room, isn't it?"

The brunet stayed silent for a while, looking unsure what to say, how to reply. After taking a breath and letting go of his sword, he finally managed a chuckle. Putting a gentle pressure on his king's shoulder, Conrad finally replied, "This IS your room, Yuuri. We just made some little changes and you already think that it isn't?"

Yuuri still looked confused as he turned around and scanned the room once again. Yes, the shape was definitely still the same. (It's just) Only the decorations had changed.

"It surprised me…" Yuuri grinned sheepishly, "When did you change all these? And the garden too."

Conrad's smile widened, "Well, you always sleep so soundly. It makes things easier."

Yuuri sighed again in relief. The room looked completely different that he thought that he might have been kidnapped (again).

"Great job!" He released his grip and looked around the room proudly, "You did all the changes in just one night without waking me up!"

Conrad laughed softly as he walked inside and approached the window. It seemed that he also liked the sight of the new flower garden. His eyes looked gentler as he gazed at the beautiful scenery.

"Do you like the changes I made, Yuuri?"

Yuuri turned to him at the statement and noticed that Conrad never took his eyes off the garden. It felt a bit strange to Yuuri, since Conrad was usually polite enough to look at him whenever he talked. But Yuuri liked the relaxed expression the man was wearing.

"Yes, I like it." Yuuri replied, as he started to move toward Conrad, "But it must be exhausting to redecorate this room in one night. Have you gotten enough sleep? You shouldn't have---"

Yuuri gasped as his sight was suddenly blurred. He felt something soft and damp touch his face. The maou reflexively took a step backward at the sudden coldness. He had no idea what had happened until he managed to recollect himself and saw a bucket of blossoming red roses right in front of his nose.

"Happy birthday, Yuuri."

Yuuri blinked once more, as he took the bucket and glanced at it in puzzlement. He turned his eyes back to Conrad, who was still smiling sweetly at him.

Conrad. Red roses. Birthday.

The three things just didn't feel right together, but…

"Thanks. They're beautiful." Yuuri managed to reply, smiling back happily, "Did you get them from the garden?"

"Yes."

Yuuri nodded and turned around to find a vase for the flowers. For some reason, suddenly Conrad's presence made him feel very nervous. He had never had that kind of feeling before. He felt like he needed to avoid Conrad's eyes, and his heart was pounding three times louder than usual.

While Yuuri was busy wondering if he had to ask Gisela to examine him, suddenly a pair of arms slid around his slender waist, pulling him in to a warm embrace. Yuuri just knew that it was Conrad. It just had to be him.

"You seem feverish. Are you feeling all right?"

Yuuri could feel his whole body shake at Conrad's soft breath on his skin. He had never felt so red in his whole life.

"K---Conrad---could you lemme go---I'm okay---"

Conrad usually followed every order Yuuri gave.

Conrad ALWAYS followed everything he said, or at least, he would give him the most appropriate, worthwhile reason for objecting it.

So it deeply shocked Yuuri that Conrad had chosen that moment to be disobedient.

"You're always so shy. It's quite cute, Yuuri…"

Yuuri felt lightning had struck him from above.

Conrad…

Conrad, of all people…was hugging him intimately and calling him 'cute'.

Yuuri's body shook again at the thought. If some seconds before the color of his face was RGB (250,154,179), now it had turned in to RGB (250,0,0). Although escaping should have been the only available option for him, somehow he just couldn't make it out. His tongue felt numb. His body felt weak and heavy. The flowers slipped from his trembling grip, as his hands slowly made their way to Conrad's arms. He knew that he should (be prying) pry them from his waist, but then he remembered that the pair of strong arms was Conrad's. So he aborted his plan, and let his hands rest on Conrad's forearms. After all, it was Conrad, his most trustworthy fellow who would never think of hurting him.

"You know… I'm so glad that you're by my side, Yuuri… sometimes I still feel like it's just a dream…" Conrad whispered softly, settling his chin on Yuuri's thin shoulder, making the raven-haired boy skip another breath, "Well… sorry for being sentimental all of a sudden… I know you dislike it… but…"

Yuuri felt a bit relieved at the faint sound of Conrad's familiar chuckle. He sounded a bit more in character. As Conrad finally let him go, he finally remembered how to breathe.

"Well, then. Shall I get you ready for your birthday party, Heika?"

XXX

"Heika…"

"Heika…"

"Heika…"

"Heika, it's time to wake up."

Yuuri immediately yanked away his blanket and sat up on his bed, opening his eyes wide to recognize his surroundings.

It was his room, with no changes. It was still the usual wallpaper, curtains, bedcover, blanket, and decorations. Nothing had changed.

Yuuri glanced at the window. It was the same window, unlike the one he had seen before in his dream, and it was closed tightly. He was also sure that there was no flower garden outside.

When Yuuri turned to his left side, he realized that he hadn't been alone. Conrad was there, staring at him with a puzzled look. It seemed that the man had been trying to wake him up.

Yuuri flushed.

Judging from Conrad's bewildered face, he must have scared the military man with his weird behavior.

While Yuuri was pondering how he should explain the circumstances, Conrad recovered from his perplexity and smiled.

"You had a nightmare?"

Yuuri didn't really think it was, but nodded anyway.

Conrad chuckled, "I hope you weren't dreaming about me."

Yuuri just grinned.

"Well then, Heika. I apologize for interrupting your dream, but it's getting late. You must get up now." Conrad said as he took a step backward courteously, "I'll be waiting outside. Please get ready soon. Everyone has been waiting for you for breakfast."

As Conrad exited the room and closed the door, Yuuri took a deep, deep, relieved breath. So it WAS really a dream.

Recalling the gentle pressure Conrad-in-the-dream put around his waist for one last time, Yuuri reached for his dresser and got dressed quickly. He'd better get to the dining room soon, or Wolfram would get there earlier and call him sleepyhead. Or worse. XD

XXX

Yuuri reached the dining room just in time; ten minutes before the yawning Wolfram reached his seat and put his heavy head on the table. Gunter, as usual, warned Wolfram about his dining manners, ignoring the infamous fact that it was almost pointless to attempt to communicate the blond in the morning.

"What time did you get to bed last night, Wolfram?"

Yuuri was an exception, somehow.

"…Around midnight…" Wolfram replied. Although he was already chewing on his food, it didn't seem that he'd remember if his food was too salty or not.

"Geez, get to bed earlier. Someone should get you a mirror so you could see how terrible you look now." Yuuri laughed at the blond, although he had to admit that Wolfram didn't look less pretty with his slightly shabby hair.

Wolfram yawned again, "Unlike you, I have many things to do, slacker."

Yuuri shrugged, "Like making another abstract painting?"

Wolfram glared at him, "Art is just my leisure pursuit. You think I'll have the time to paint when other more important things are coming up?"

"No, of course not." Yuuri quickly turned back to his food, not wanting to start another war with his fiancé. Wolfram had become a bit touchier lately, and Yuuri didn't want to be ignored for the rest of the day because of a fight over something so ridiculous.

"Wolfram has been busy managing his new squad, Heika," Conrad voluntarily explained, "and he is doing very well. I think he makes a great leader."

Wolfram flushed at the compliment, despite his bitter retort, "Not as great as you are, Sir Weller."

"Wow! You should have told me about it earlier, Wolfram. I thought you didn't want to play with me again," Yuuri smiled happily, "I'll be lonely without you, but I guess it'll be okay. It won't be good for you to spend all your whole time keeping me company either."

Wolfram snorted, "You sound like I have been following you around like a pet."

Yuuri laughed, although he was unsure if Wolfram intended it to be a joke or not.

"I'll be very busy today, but don't worry. I'll spare a little time for you, Yuuri." Wolfram suddenly showed a suspicious smugness, "I'll use my lunch break to check out how you're doing with your lessons. And since I'm not there to help you escape, I'm sure that even a wimp like you will improve."

Yuuri winced at the thought. It was a bit too late for him to realize the importance of Wolfram's presence.

"Ooh, Heika! Do you dislike my lessons that much!" Gunter started to flood his plate with tears. Gwendal, who sat next to him, just let out a soft sympathizing sigh. Well, after all, a teacher-student relationship was very complicated. It was never easy to see where the blame for the wasted time they spent together lay.

"I'm sure that Heika never intended to hurt your feelings, Gunter." Conrad, for the second time, saved Yuuri's day, "As for me, although I'm not a teenager anymore, I still like to play better than study."

Yuuri smiled and nodded in agreement, "That's right, Gunter. Please don't be sad. I'm full of energy right now and I'll attend your class today!"

Gunter's face brightened at the explanations. After replacing his plate, he resumed his breakfast cheerfully. Gwendal glanced at him with a suppressed amused smile. Everybody in the room was apparently thinking about the same thing:

'_mood swings…'_

Yuuri was glad that everybody had become cheerful again, but he still had some doubts in his mind. Wolfram would be busy with his squad, and it meant that no one would keep him company. If he was allowed to go out by himself, he wouldn't mind being alone once in a while; but Conrad was very strict when it came to his safety. The man had warned him numerous times not to go out of the castle without trustworthy company.

Yuuri turned his eyes to Conrad, silently wishing that the man would read his mind and save his day once again, but…

"Oh, Yuuri. I forgot to tell you about this earlier…" Conrad suddenly said, turning to Yuuri with an apologetic smile, "I'll have to go to the town for an inspection today, and I'll probably not be able to come back until the evening."

Yuuri's heart was cracking, but somehow he managed to keep smiling, "Yes, sure. Be careful, Conrad."

Conrad nodded and resumed his breakfast quietly.

Seeing no more available option, Yuuri turned back to his food with a sigh, and was soon getting drowned in the pool of his mind. The sound of cheerful chatters around him was becoming fainter increasingly. The very last sound he could hear was Gwendal's random mutter:

"Where's Anissina?"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

HEELS OVER HEAD

Chapter Two

A ConYuu Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **thisissong**

Alternate Universe, since I have no idea what happens after episode 34. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

Slacker.

Yuuri had just recently realized the truth of Wolfram's word.

Slacker.

The more he thought about it, the more conscious he became about his nothing-to-do-ness, and the more bored he felt.

Slacker.

"…How true…"

The afternoon breeze felt nice, so Yuuri decided to stay in the bench for a while, gazing at the grassy backyard with a bored look. And as usual, his face displayed exactly what he felt.

Although he was the Maou, the holder of the highest authority in Shin Makoku, Yuuri felt like he was treated more like an apprentice than a real king. Naturally. He couldn't even spell a difficult mazoku word appropriately yet. There were still a lot of things he would have to learn before he would be allowed to take his full role as a king. And until then, he had to keep with Gunter's lessons.

For an energetic teenager like him, it was obviously very dull to stay behind the desk and to do paper works. Yuuri had never expected that one day he would beg Gunter to keep the tutorial going until dinnertime, to which Gunter would have gladly complied if Gwendal's messenger hadn't suddenly appeared to invite Gunter to an important meeting.

"…Everyone's so busy…" Yuuri muttered softly as he rested his head on the bench, diverting his gaze to the blue sky. Yesterday's storm had wiped away all the thick, dark clouds, leaving only some thin, cotton-white ones. It felt like Shin Maou was punishing him by displaying such a beautiful sunny day in the middle of his helplessness.

Yuuri rested his head on the bench and closed his eyes, deciding to take a nap while hoping that Conrad or Wolfram would be available when he woke up. Just when he was about to doze off, he felt a pair of hands covering his eyes, as a familiar lady's voice rang in his ears.

"Heika-darling, don't sleep your sunny day away."

Yuuri was too happy to complain at the hands that kept him blind.

"Yozak!"

"What? How did you find me out?" Yozak removed his hands with a disappointed face, "I thought my voice was feminine enough to delude everyone."

Yuuri laughed, at both Yozak's sudden presence and his pouting face.

"It wasn't good enough, Yozak. You'll need to practice some more before you can fool me into thinking you're a woman."

Yozak shrugged, "Alright. Guess I'm not good enough to challenge the Maou yet."

Yuuri moved to one side of the bench, giving Yozak enough space to sit beside him. But the red-haired man didn't seem to get the signal, and he just kept standing behind the bench, glancing at the yard with a bored look, imitating Yuuri's previous face.

"What are you doing here? I heard that you were out for another job." Yuuri asked.

"I am a very busy man, Heika. Once I've finished one, another job is already lined up," Yozak replied as he opened his mouth widely and yawned, "and now I'm up for another duty."

Yuuri widened his eyes, looking cutely clueless, "Another duty? Then what are you doing here? What's your next job?"

Yozak looked exasperated as he jumped over the bench and landed on his feet in front of his king, who was still gazing at him in astonishment.

"YOU are today's duty, Your Majesty. Geez, I thought I'd not be obliged to exclaim it out aloud. Didn't Sir Weller tell you about it?"

Yuuri blinked and rolled his eyes, before muttering a soft 'no'.

Yozak sighed again, "I see. As usual, he's always being so shy, that dear Sir Weller Conrad of yours. Oh, well then, just ignore my big mouth and I (man, I'm gonna get bashed for this). Ohohohohohohoho. Now, what would I do to entertain you? Wanna learn how to use cosmetics?"

"No, thanks." Yuuri cringed, ignoring the _slightly_ weird feeling that came with Yozak's suggestive tone.

"You wanna play with my wigs?"

"No."

"Wanna try on my newest dress? I know you'll look good in it."

"NO!"

Yozak laughed at Yuuri's horrified face, as he finally sat down on the bench, turning his face to the pouting king.

"Okay, okay. Now, seriously, what do you want to do?"

"Let's see…" Yuuri made a thinking face as he tried to find one thing he really wanted to spend the day doing. Yozak waited for him with an enigmatic smile on his lips.

"I wanna…"

"…Think you wanna see how's Sir Weller doing?"

Yuuri stared at Yozak's evil smile disbelievingly and looked like he was about to refuse the offer. Yuuri would definitely refuse the silly idea of stalking Conrad in the middle of his work. Yozak thought so, until those words came out of the young king's lips.

"…You can really bring me there?"

Yozak tried his best to suppress his grin.

XXX

As Yuuri stepped in to the town, all eyes were turned to him. The guys were drooling and the women were glaring with jealousy. The Maou turned to the tall man beside him and glared.

"Don't get so worked up, Hei---I mean, _Jou-chan_," Yozak grinned as he placed an arm around the slender boy's waist, "No one will suspect us. We just look like a lovesick couple. It's a perfect disguise. C'mon, get here. Get closer to me."

"You call this a 'perfect disguise'?" Yuuri tried to lower his tone as he gripped Yozak's arm, "You told me that we'd not gain attention by dressing up like this, but look! Everybody's looking at us!"

"They're just adoring your beauty, and my flawless face, of course," Yozak replied calmly, "it'll be over soon."

"Let's hope so."

Yuuri looked down and winced again at the taste of lipstick on his lips, his silk dress, and his Cheri-styled blonde wig ( -- in the end, he did all the things he had declined before –laughs-). He had seen his reflection before, and had been sure that no one would recognize him as the Maou, not even Conrad, but he couldn't feel reassured. The guys on the street corner looked like they were undressing him with their eyes.

Yuuri lifted up his face and looked at Yozak who seemed quite confident with his gentleman disguise. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to make him cross-dress, but it was probably the best idea to have Yozak dress up as a man to secure him from those perverts.

"What is Conrad doing in this town?" Yuuri asked quietly as they walked together.

"A small group of bandits," Yozak explained as he turned to his side and leaded their way in to a small restaurant, "lately they've been appearing around this town. Everyone's worried, so Sir Weller decided to take care of the problem by himself."

Yuuri smiled politely as the waitress guided them to a table. It was table number 13. Yuuri wondered if it was a sign of coming misfortunes.

"What's his plan to catch them?" Yuuri asked as he opened the menu, pretending he was browsing it, although he couldn't read it at all.

"Today's special, please." Yozak told the waitress.

"I don't know. He never told me," Yozak replied when the waitress got far enough to not overhear them, "but let me tell you one thing…"

"Sir Weller NEVER loses to criminals."

Yuuri's eyes shimmered in amazement through the blue contacts, "He's really so strong…"

"Yes, he's very strong indeed," Yozak smiled, "and you should see his face when he's fighting. Man, he CAN scare his opponents off."

"I see," Yuuri appeared happy to listen to Yozak's story about Conrad, "but he also has a lot of friends, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, and lotsa of enemies too. But most civilians like Sir Weller. Even some humans like him."

Yozak couldn't help smiling at Yuuri's beaming face. The boy really concentrated while listening to him. It always made him wonder why Conrad hadn't made a move on the Maou yet. A moment later Yozak's eyes fell on Yuuri's blonde wig, then the answer came to him.

'Oh… that's why'

"Anything else you'd like to know about dear Sir Weller Conrad, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, one more thing," Yuuri quickly replied, completely ignoring Yozak's reminiscent tone, "I always wonder how well he treats his subordinates. Since they seem to respect him and----"

"Pssst…" Yuuri blinked as Yozak suddenly gestured him to stop talking and lower his head. His confusion didn't take very long, as a group of Shin Makoku soldiers suddenly entered the restaurant, including one familiar figure at the lead.

Yuuri gasped and promptly ducked his head, using the menu to cover up his face. Yozak just lowered his head and kept gesturing at Yuuri to stay silent.

"Take turns to guard the place, starting from squad A. The others can have lunch and get some rest here," Conrad announced to the soldiers, "assemble in one hour. Scatter."

"Yes, Sir!"

Still pressing his chin down on the table, Yuuri carefully pushed the menu up, only high enough to let him have the full view of Conrad's table. The brunet was sitting alone and he looked exhausted.

Yuuri frowned.

Conrad was always pushing himself. He'd get sick.

"Crap, didn't expect this," he heard Yozak mutter, "Better think out how to get outta here without getting caught. He's really going to kill me if he ever finds this out."

Yuuri just sighed. Although he still had no idea how to escape the situation, he felt calm, as if he was sure that the situation would resolve itself. Looking at Conrad's tired face made him want to just show up and approach the lonely-looking man, but Yozak's safety came first, he guessed.

"Sorry for the wait."

Both Yuuri and Yozak almost jumped off their chairs at the waitress' voice.

"Today's special for a lovely couple. How about the beverages?"

"Water, please." Yuuri quickly said with a nervous smile, while hoping that Conrad wouldn't be able to hear him.

Yozak just nodded in agreement, "Me too."

"Okay. Please wait for a moment."

Yuuri stared at the undefined-shaped food in front of him. It smelled nice, but Yuuri wasn't sure how to start eating with the various weird-looking 'things' on his plate. When he lifted up his head, Yozak had started eating.

"I thought you wanted to get out of here as soon as possible."

"We'll look suspicious if we leave without eating. So let's eat first."

Yuuri nodded and started eating. The food tasted fine. He was thinking of coming back there next time, but then remembered that he didn't know the name of the food.

'_Pay more attention to Gunter's Mazoku Language class…' _He mentally noted.

As the waitress came back with the beverages, Yuuri stole another glance at Conrad. Although he was sitting in a restaurant, Conrad didn't seem to intend to order anything more than a cup of tea that was settled on the side of his table. In front of him were some scattered documents and a pen. He seemed busy staring at one of the papers, while repeatedly marking it with his pen.

Yuuri frowned again and mentally shouted at the brunet.

'It's lunch-break and you're still working! Go and order something!'

Conrad shook and promptly dropped his pen.

"Yuuri?" He muttered softly as he stood up and looked around. Yuuri immediately lowered his head and resumed eating.

Unable to find any sign of his young king, Conrad sighed and sat back down, still looking confused.

"You look tired, Your Excellency," One of his concerned subordinates told him, "maybe you should take a break and have lunch."

Conrad weakly nodded as he collected his scattered documents and tried to find the menu among them, "…Somehow I feel that Heika wants me to take a break too… somehow…"

Yuuri just smiled.

XXX

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

HEELS OVER HEAD

Chapter Three

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **thisissong**

Alternate Universe, since I have no idea what happens after episode 34. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

Yuuri didn't remember how he had reached the podium, or why there were so many people gathering in front of him, or what he ought to do with Anissina's handmade microphone in his hand. All he knew was that the people were waiting for his voice, for his opening speech.

Yuuri felt dizzy all of a sudden as the crowd started to shout out his name. It made him wonder how superstars kept up with this kind of situation every time.

"Heika."

Yuuri could hear Gunter's voice from behind of him.

"I know you're nervous, but please say something."

Yuuri gulped and nodded, as he lifted up his head to face the curious crowd.

"Err…"

What a dreadful beginning for a king's speech…

"I…"

Yuuri looked around to find something to talk about. As he lifted his head, he could see a huge floating banner, on which was written: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KING YUURI!

"…Thank you for attending my birthday party."

The crowd cheered happily at the Maou's voice.

"I really appreciate your presence. And…"

Yuuri turned his eyes to the empty food stands that were scattered around the front yard of Blood Pledge castle. It seemed that all of the vendors had left their places to join the other people to cheer for him in front of the podium.

"I hope you'll enjoy the party… and the food… I'd like to have a cone of vanilla ice cream after this…"

The crowd laughed loudly at the remark.

"I hope you're having a good time. Thank you."

Yuuri exhaled in relief as he could finally excuse himself to climb down the podium. A soldier escorted him to the dining room, where Wolfram had been waiting for him. Yuuri glanced at the big table for a moment. No dishes were set out on the table, indicating that he hadn't been taken there for a banquet.

"Nice vanilla speech, wimp. Quite entertaining."

Yuuri turned his eyes to the blond who was snickering at him. He was about to retort as he noticed that Wolfram looked a bit different. Almost unconsciously, he approached the bewildered guy and brought his hand up to touch Wolfram's hair.

"…Your hair…"

"H---hey! W---What do you think you're doing!" Wolfram promptly pushed him away, blushing heavily, "I—I'm gonna tell my brother about this---"

"Your hair…" Yuuri still seemed dazed, "…is long…"

Wolfram blinked, caught his reflection in a nearby window, then turned back to throw Yuuri a weird look.

"Just because it's your birthday and everyone is being lunatic about it, it doesn't mean that you have to act stupid too," Wolfram frowned, "and of course my hair is long. That's what I let it grow for, besides…"

Wolfram paused for a while, as he turned his face away in embarrassment, "…you're the one who told me that I'd look good with long hair…"

Yuuri rolled his eyes. He didn't remember if he had ever said something like that to Wolfram, but felt too tired to dispute.

"It looks really good on you," Yuuri smiled.

Wolfram snorted, "It's not like I let it grow for you."

Yuuri just shrugged as he turned around and approached his usual seat. When he looked down, he immediately realized that he was wearing a set of clothes he had never seen before, and for some reasons, he also felt that the table looked a few inches shorter than usual. Just when he was about to reach his chair, the door was slammed open and the rest of his friends finally appeared.

"Heika!" Gunter was the first one to approach him and hug him, "Happy birthday, Heika! Although it was a bit different from the script I have prepared for you, I, Gunter, am so proud of your opening speech! Every word that came from your lips was wonderful!"

Yuuri just smiled. Although he didn't think he had read such a script, somehow he was sure that it was totally different from his opening speech.

"Thank you for your hard work, Gunter. You can relax and have fun today."

Gunter nodded with a wide smile. Yuuri was glad since Gunter looked three times more cheerful than usual, although he also seemed a bit… shorter than usual (?)

"Oh, Heika! Happy birthday!" Cheri was the second to jump into his arms, pushing the overjoyed Gunter away, "I have specially come home to celebrate your birthday! Ara, you have become a handsome gentleman! Maybe I should have you for myself instead of giving you to my son!"

"Mother!" Wolfram protested.

"Thank you for sparing your time for me, Cheri-sama. I hope you're having a good time back home." Yuuri smiled. His eyes fell on Cheri's exposed shoulder then he glanced back at his own. "…You look a lot slimmer, Cheri-sama."

"Ooh, really? My, you have learned to talk like Conrad. Umm… I can't decide if I should be glad about it or not, since you were so cute with your own style before…"

"Mother…" Gwendal warned from behind her, "Please hurry. We don't have much time."

"I see. So you want to hug him too, Gwendal?" Cheri winked.

"Mother…" Gwendal sighed.

"Then I'll get to my seat now. Excuse me, Heika." Cheri placed a peck on Yuuri's cheek before turning around and walking away.

Gwendal stepped forward, seeming unsure what to say, "…Happy birthday."

"Thanks, Gwendal. Just for today, frowns are prohibited, okay?" Yuuri grinned.

Gwendal smiled just a little, "As you wish, Your Majesty."

As Gwendal walked away, Anissina stepped forward with her usual confident smile and shimmering eyes. As Anissina stood right in front of him, for once more, Yuuri felt that everybody looked a bit shorter and smaller than usual.

"Heika! Happy birthday!"

"Thanks for your hard work decorating the castle for today's party, Anissina-san." Yuuri just somehow knew it had been the woman's doing.

"No problem, the pleasure is mine." Anissina's smile widened, "Besides, I didn't do anything to your room. Someone else did it."

Yuuri blinked, "…You mean Conrad?"

Anissina nodded, "Although I told him that I could help, he insisted on redecorating it himself during the night. He said that he wanted to surprise you in the morning."

Yuuri suddenly remembered his previous dream, about his redecorated room, the flower garden, Conrad giving him roses and embracing him…

Was actually real? Or was it just a dream? It felt real, but it couldn't be. The real Conrad couldn't have treated him like that. It was a dream. But if it was really a dream, why did Anissina tell him about it as if it were real? Yuuri couldn't remember.

He had a strange feeling that a few moments before, he had just had dinner with all his friends. And at the time, Wolfram's hair had been still short, the table's height had still felt the same.

Which was the dream, which was the reality? Why couldn't he remember anything?

"Heika? Are you all right?"

Yuuri closed his eyes for a while, then opened them again and saw Anissina standing in front of him.

"I---I'm okay," Yuuri smiled weakly, "I guess I'm just being too excited about the party…"

"I see," Anissina smiled, "Don't worry, we'll start the party soon. I guess we can sit down while waiting for Sir Weller."

Yuuri nodded.

XXX

Yuuri slowly opened his eyes and sat up. It took him some time to recognize his surroundings, and the man who was standing next to his bed.

"Good morning, Heika." Conrad greeted after waiting for a few seconds in silence. Maybe he just wanted to wait until his king was entirely transferred back from dreamland to reality.

"…Good morning… _nazukeoya_…" Yuuri yawned.

Conrad chuckled. The reply indicated that Yuuri had been wholly conscious.

"You had another nightmare?" Conrad asked.

Yuuri shook his head as he turned his eyes to the smiling man, "Conrad, do you think dreams can be continued on different days?"

Conrad seemed taken aback for a while, "I suppose… it's possible."

Yuuri sighed, "I guess so."

"Is that what happened?" Conrad asked, looking concerned, "Your nightmare continued?"

Yuuri shook his head again, "No. It was never a nightmare in the first place. It just continued."

"I see," Conrad appeared in thought, "…Since you're a Maou, the dream might be a sign of something."

"Sign? Like foretelling?" Yuuri blinked.

"I'm not sure, but I'll ask mother and Ulrike-sama about it later. Please notify me if the dream keeps resuming itself."

Yuuri nodded, smiling in relief, "How about you? Have you caught the bandits?"

"What?"

Yuuri immediately clasped his hands on his mouth, realizing his mistake.

"How did you know that?" Conrad seemed like he knew the answer already, "…Yozak told you, didn't he?"

Yuuri nodded nervously, while hoping that he wasn't causing trouble for the redhead.

"He shouldn't have told you about it, but since you have found it out, I'll tell you about the problem," Conrad seemed displeased, making Yuuri feel sorry for Yozak, "It has been a few weeks since a group of bandits invaded a small town near this castle. They're currently hiding somewhere in the town, and once in a while, they leave their hideout and attack the civilians."

Yuuri frowned, "…I see. It's very disturbing indeed."

"But you don't have to worry about it, Yuuri. I have decided to take care of them myself. I can make sure that they'll be arrested in no time. It's not very serious. Besides, they're small in number."

For some reasons, Yuuri felt that Conrad was smiling just to convince him to not interfere with the problem, which meant that the bandits were indeed dangerous.

"Very well then, please get dressed now. I'll be waiting for you outside."

"Wait, Conrad."

"Yes?"

"You're going to the town again today?"

Conrad threw him another apologetic smile, "…Yes. Don't worry. I'll ask Yozak to keep you company."

Yuuri's smile bloomed, "Thanks."

XXX

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

HEELS OVER HEAD

Chapter Four

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **thisissong**

Alternate Universe, since I have no idea what happens after episode 34. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

Yuuri was in his room preparing his disguise when he heard several knocks at his door. Yuuri stood up and turned his eyes to the door. He had been expecting it.

"How's it?" He asked.

There came a reply from outside, "Sir Weller has just left."

Yuuri's smile widened.

"Yes. Thank you."

Giving one last glance at his reflection in the mirror, Yuuri grabbed his bag and approached the window.

XXX

Wolfram threw himself onto the bed with an exhausted sigh. His whole body felt cramped, but he wasn't going to complain. He had just finished the paperwork he had been doing for the last few hours, and after summoning a messenger to deliver the paperwork to Gunter, he was free from work for the rest of the day.

'That guy must be very happy'

Wolfram's smile widened as he envisaged Yuuri's delighted face when he came and told the Maou about it.

'It's a good thing to leave him alone for a while. So he'll realize how lonely he is when I'm not around.'

Wolfram closed his eyes and turned to his side, embracing his pillow tightly with a content smile on his lips.

'I guess I'll take a nap for a few hours, then I'll…'

"Wolfram!"

Wolfram swiftly sat up and grabbed his sword, scanning his room warily, "Who is it!"

"It's me! Me! Open the window!"

Wolfram instinctively turned to the window and gaped. A beautiful girl was standing outside of his window, giving him an impatient look.

"What the--- who are you?"

"Hurry! Before the guards see me!"

Wolfram wasn't satisfied with the reply, but did as he had been told to. As the girl and her bag had been safely transported in to his room, he raised his sword and pointed its edge to the gawking girl.

"Now tell me, who are you and what are you doing here? One wrong word, and you'll be in prison!"

"H---Hey! Stop pointing that dangerous thing to me! It's me! Can't you recognize my voice?" The girl stammered as 'she' took a step backward. Wolfram followed 'her' with the edge of his sword.

"That's not the answer I want," Wolfram replied coldly, "I'll give you three seconds to explain. One…"

The girl glanced at the blond disbelievingly, "But, Wolfram, I---"

"Two…"

"I…"

"Thr---"

Wolfram widened his eyes in bewilderment as the 'girl' took 'her' hair off, revealing the pitch-black strands under the brown wig.

"Yu… Yuuri?"

Yuuri sighed in relief as his fiancé lowered the sword, "I thought you were going to kill me…"

"Of course not, wimp. Even if you were a real intruder, I wouldn't kill you straight away," Wolfram sheathed his sword, "What are you doing with that costume? Don't tell me that you are developing Yozak's habit."

"Of course not!" Yuuri retorted, "It's just a disguise!"

Wolfram frowned, "…Disguise? For what?"

Yuuri sighed again as he sat down on the bed, feeling abruptly exhausted. Wolfram soon followed and sat beside him, waiting patiently while he was trying to regulate his breaths.

"You have also heard about the bandits in the town, right?" Yuuri asked after gaining back his composure.

"Brother told me about it," Wolfram nodded, "but he also said that Sir Weller had taken over the case. So there's nothing to be worried about."

"I intend to help Conrad arrest them."

Wolfram threw the king a disbelieving look, "…You're not serious."

"Yes, I am," Yuuri glanced at the blond with a stubborn look, "Conrad tried to convince me that it wasn't a big problem, but I don't think so. If it's really a small problem, then Conrad should have been able to arrest them by now."

Wolfram sighed. Yuuri's idea was absurd, as usual, but the dress Yuuri was wearing made the idea sound even more ridiculous.

"We don't commonly capture criminals in one blow, wimp. Even Sir Weller has taken over the investigation, it will take at least several days to wipe them up completely. Besides, the bandits have infiltrated the town and built a hideout. They must also have known that we're looking for them. They'll be more careful with their actions."

"Then the best time to catch them is when they're attacking, right?" Yuuri's eyes shimmered, "If we can lure them out to cause a ruckus, then Conrad will be able to arrest them."

Wolfram firmly shook his head, "It's too dangerous. I can't let you do that."

"Come on, Wolfram!" Yuuri begged, "I know it's dangerous. That's why I've come here to ask you to keep me company! If you're with me, I'll be safe, right? Besides, we're not going out of Mazoku's territory. It'll be fine."

Wolfram still seemed in doubt, but Yuuri was sure that the blond wouldn't hold out much longer. Although Wolfram would never admit it, Yuuri knew that Wolfram liked the idea of going out of the castle and capturing the bandits. After all, both of them had been confined inside the castle for the last few weeks.

"…All right, I'll help you, but," Wolfram finally replied after pondering for a few moments, "you must comply with the conditions I set."

"Sure! Just mention 'em!" Yuuri quickly answered as he reached for his bag cheerfully.

Wolfram coughed, "First, this stupid mission is just for today. If we fail to find them today, just forget about the idea and don't ask me to return to the town tomorrow. Second, don't take action recklessly. If you intend to do something, discuss it with me first. Third…"

"Would you like the red, or the blue wig?"

Wolfram lifted up his head and quickly realized that the Maou hadn't been listening to him at all. Instead, the raven-haired boy seemed busy selecting a wig for his disguise.

"Hey!" Wolfram protested, "Listen to me!"

"Let's see…" Yuuri frowned as he picked up a long blonde wig, totally ignoring Wolfram's complaint, "…I think this one is the best for you… the color suits you well and…"

The blond inhaled and held his breath for a moment, before exhaling softly in defeat. After all, obliviousness was one of the things that made Yuuri who he was.

Wolfram's smile radiated at the thought.

"Third… I don't wanna cross-dress!"

XXX

Yuuri's eyes shimmered as they reached the front gate of the town. Almost forgetting that he was disguising as a girl, he quickened his steps and ran inside the town excitedly.

"Yosh! Here we come, bandits!"

"…We're disguised to not attract unnecessary attention, you know." Wolfram, who had decided to pick his own outfit, followed him from behind.

"I know." Yuuri replied lightly as he stopped in his tracks, waiting until Wolfram reached his side before resuming his steps, "Don't you think your sword will make us look suspicious?"

"There's no choice. I have to protect you," Wolfram reasoned as he touched his sword, looking thoughtful for a moment, "to tell you the truth, I have been having a bad feeling about this. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to take you here."

"Oh, come on. You're just nervous," Yuuri chuckled, "I know a good restaurant near here. Let's stop there for a while. I didn't eat a lot this morning, and you skipped breakfast to finish your paperwork, didn't you?"

Wolfram nodded, his face still looked tense. He knew that it was silly to depend on such thing like intuition, but his feelings had never betrayed him. Something bad was going to happen. He could feel it.

With one hand still gripping nervously on his sword, Wolfram turned his face to the Maou who was walking cheerily beside him. He really wanted to tell Yuuri to just forget about the bandits and head back home, but it would probably be useless. Yuuri was so thrilled about the mission, and the stubborn boy would likely go alone instead of following his advice.

"Look! That's the restaurant!" Yuuri pointed to a direction, glancing at Wolfram with a wide smile, "Yesterday's special tasted great, but I only ate a little since Yozak and I were focusing on escaping from Conrad."

Wolfram blinked, "You and Yozak came here yesterday?"

Yuuri laughed merrily, "It was hilarious! Conrad and his squad entered the restaurant just after we ordered the food! Fortunately, we got out of the restaurant safely, then we went straight home. Conrad didn't seem to notice us, anyway."

"…I see…" Wolfram muttered softly as he glanced at the small restaurant dazedly, "I guess you can eat the 'Yesterday's Special' again today, since most restaurants in Shin Makoku keep their specials up for several days."

Yuuri seemed enlightened at the remark, "Really? Great! Then let's go in!"

XXX

As Yuuri and Wolfram entered the restaurant, the same waitress from the day before guided them to their table. Yuuri was glad that the waitress didn't seem to recognize him, but she guided them to the same table: table number 13. Yuuri wondered if it was another sign of the day's misfortunes. Wolfram seemed to notice it and thought about the same thing.

"Can I have today's special?" Yuuri asked without looking at the menu. After all, he couldn't read it.

"Okay." The waitress took a note then glanced at Wolfram in turn. Yuuri could see that she was secretly admiring the blond. "Umm… how about you, Sir?"

And Wolfram didn't seem to notice the faint tinge of blush on her cheeks at all.

"…Give me the same thing as he---I mean, she ordered."

The girl quickly scribbled down, then turned to Wolfram again, "Err… how about the beverages? We have tea, special vegetables juice and---"

"Water." Wolfram quickly replied. It was obvious that he didn't want to listen to the young girl's blabbering anymore.

Yuuri glanced at the disappointed girl in sympathy, "Me too."

"…Okay. It'll be just a bit."

As the girl walked away, Yuuri turned his eyes back to Wolfram, "You're too cold."

Wolfram snorted, "I'm not interested."

Yuuri chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" Wolfram frowned at him.

"It's nothing," Yuuri smiled, "Sometimes I just forget how cold you can be."

Wolfram flushed, "…You don't think that I'm cold to you, do you?"

"Of course not. That's why I keep forgetting it." Yuuri laughed, and was totally unaware that his remark caused Wolfram's blush to deepen.

A moment later, their food arrived. The girl was still occasionally trying to steal a glance at Wolfram, and was being totally ignored by both Yuuri and Wolfram.

"Cool! This is the food I ate with Yozak yesterday!" Yuuri exclaimed happily, ignoring Wolfram's gesture to keep quiet.

"You're too loud, wimp," Wolfram glared at him, "you are a girl now. Try to look more feminine."

"It's okay. Nobody's looking at us," Yuuri replied carelessly, "Come on, try it, Wolfram! It's really delicious!"

Wolfram sighed as he picked up his spoon and glanced at his food uninterestedly. Although he had skipped breakfast, he didn't feel hungry at all. He just kept thinking about the bad omen he had been feeling since the time they had arrived at the town.

'I have to protect Yuuri. Skipping another meal will only weaken me.'

Wolfram gripped his spoon, determined. As he lifted his head, he realized that Yuuri had stopped eating and was now staring at something in the distance with an astonished look.

"What's wrong?" Wolfram swiftly tossed his spoon away and grabbed his sword.

Yuuri turned his eyes to Wolfram and gestured him to look at something behind him.

Wolfram quickly turned to his back, trying to find something suspicious. And his gaze soon fell on a very suspicious-looking man who was standing at the doorway. The man was tall, wearing sunglasses and headband and clothed like a beggar. But the thing that caught Wolfram's attention was the sword on his waist.

"See?" Yuuri whispered, "He might be one of the bandits."

"Don't be so sure," Wolfram frowned, "they won't be so stupid to dress up so suspiciously in such daylight."

"But look, his attitude is so suspicious. He seems nervous. Even if he's not a bandit, he must be a criminal."

Wolfram still looked doubtful, but Yuuri seemed like he was ready to abandon his meal again to pursue the man.

"He left!" Yuuri stood up as the man turned around and walked away, "Let's follow him, Wolfram!"

"O—Okay!" Wolfram took a few seconds to put some money on the table before getting on his feet and mindlessly ran after the suspicious man.

XXX

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

HEELS OVER HEAD

Chapter Five

A ConYuu Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **thisissong**

Alternate Universe. No spoilers, though I've (finally) watched it up to episode 41.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

At first, the man just walked quietly among the crowd, ignoring people's curious looks at both his suspicious appearance and the sword at his waist. As he got far enough from the center of town, he started to increase his pace, compelling Yuuri to quicken his steps. Soon enough, the pursuit became obvious to anyone who saw it. The man had presumably noticed that he was being followed, that was probably the main reason of speeded up. But Yuuri was too excited to care, and Wolfram was too tired to think about it.

It took Wolfram a few moments to realize that Yuuri had stopped running. The blond abruptly stopped his steps, just a few seconds away from bumping on his king's back.

"Where's he?" He asked after taking a few seconds to regulate his breath. For some reasons, he felt very exhausted, although they hadn't run very far away from the restaurant. His sudden stinging headache just made things worse.

Yuuri gestured Wolfram to lower his tone and look at the suspicious man who was currently standing at the desolate alleyway. He had his back turned to Yuuri and Wolfram.

"It's probably the hideout," Yuuri whispered, looking really excited about the dangerous situation, "let's wait for a few moments here to confirm it. And we might also be able to overhear their _password_."

"Pass…what?" Wolfram frowned.

Yuuri just smiled and gestured Wolfram to be silent.

Wolfram obeyed, lowered his head and observed the man carefully. It seemed that Yuuri's suspicion about the man was true. The more Wolfram looked at him, the man looked more and more dubious.

"What are we going to do now?" Wolfram asked, "It seems that he's just standing there. We can't arrest someone who hasn't done anything wrong, Yuuri."

"Hmm…" Yuuri rolled his eyes, "let's wait for a few more minutes."

"And if he's just a beggar?" Wolfram frowned.

"Then we'll leave him alone." Yuuri replied lightly, "Ah, right. We'll give him some money too."

Wolfram sighed, and did as he had been instructed to. He stood there, monitoring the man carefully. For some reasons, his figure seemed familiar. For a moment, his vision was suddenly blurred. Wolfram shook his head and closed his eyes tightly.

'Must be from the lack of sleep and skipping meal'

Wolfram opened his eyes again. His sight had cleared up, but he felt a bit dizzy. Determined to keep alert, he tightened his grip on his sword. He really hoped that the man was just a common beggar.

"Captain, I have brought them here!" The man suddenly exclaimed.

Wolfram was momentarily taken aback at the remark. It took him a few moments to gather himself and recognized the voice and the whole circumstances. The blond quickly turned to Yuuri, staring at the clueless boy while trying to find the right words to explain what was going on.

"What an odd password," Yuuri commented as he stared back at his fiancé's tense face, still seeming oblivious, "Huh? What's wrong with you? You look pale. Are you all right?"

Wolfram quickly shook his head and opened his mouth to explain, but suddenly his sight was blurred again, and this time he lost his balance and fell backward. He could hear Yuuri gasped out his name, then he felt a pair of strong arms catch him from behind just in time. For a moment, he thought that the arms were Yuuri's. Then he looked up and saw the smiling face of his second brother.

"Conrad!" Yuuri glanced at the older man disbelievingly, "…How did you know that we're here? And the man…"

"So," Yozak revealed his disguise with a wide, proud grin, "am I forgiven now, Captain?"

"More or less, Yozak." Conrad replied lightly, "At least you've spared yourself from severe punishment."

Yozak sighed, "You heard that, Heika. I hope you're not blaming me for this. He's really good at threatening."

Yuuri repeatedly turned his eyes to Yozak, then back to Conrad, looking unsure what to say.

"I apologize, Heika." Conrad stood up, carrying the half-conscious Wolfram in his arms, "You may punish me for this later. But for now, we must hurry and take care of Wolfram. He's burning up."

Yuuri diverted his eyes to Wolfram and quickly regretted himself for forcing Wolfram to keep him company without paying attention to his strange attitudes. The boy was exhausted from his work, yet he still wanted to go with Yuuri. Guilt promptly overwhelmed Yuuri's mind. After managing to recollect himself, Yuuri turned his eyes to Conrad and nodded.

XXX

Yuuri came out of Wolfram's room with a relieved face, as Conrad followed him from behind with a similar expression. They just stood there and stared at each other for a few moments, before Yuuri decided to end the awkward silence.

"Should we take him back to the castle now?"

"He's just exhausted. I think it'll be better to let him stay in bed today, then get back to the castle tomorrow." Conrad said, "Don't worry about him. He's strong. He'll be just fine. I'll ask some soldiers to guard his room."

"I see…" Yuuri paused, sighing softly as he turned his eyes back to Conrad with an apologetic look, "I… sorry for disturbing you in the middle of your work… I sneaked out of the castle without Gunter's permission, I even selfishly dragged Yozak and Wolfram along, and I didn't pay attention to Wolfram's sickness… I feel kinda ashamed of myself…"

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Yuuri." Conrad smiled reassuringly, "You haven't gotten out of the castle for over two weeks. I can understand that you're bored. I'll ask Gunter to let me take you out once in a while. It's not going to be easy, but let's hope that I can convince him."

Yuuri still looked doubtful, "But I'm getting in your way. Now you have to protect Wolfram and I and you'll not be able to arrest the bandits… the townspeople will be endangered… and…"

"Trust me," Conrad gently pressed a hand on Yuuri's shoulder, gazing deep in to the young king's dark eyes, "everything will be just fine."

Yuuri knew that he had screwed things up. He knew that Conrad was just trying to cheer him up, spoiling him with his limitless patience and mercy. He also knew that he wasn't supposed to feel relieved at the time like this. But he couldn't withstand the feeling. His anxiety and guilt were just suddenly blown away at Conrad's gentle words.

"…Yes. Thanks." He smiled, "By the way, I've been wondering what's with the bag?"

"Ah, right." Conrad looked down at the paper-bag he had been holding, then brought it up so Yuuri could examine it.

Yuuri looked inside and saw a set of _male_ clothes.

"You look so comfortable with the clothes, but… I still think that you need to get changed soon."

Yuuri looked down at his dress and blushed bright red at Conrad's amused chuckle.

"…I completely forgot…"

XXX

"Finally I can get a decent meal! This time, I won't leave this no matter what happens!" Yuuri looked at the food in front of him happily.

Conrad just chuckled at his king's cheerful face, "Let's hope so."

"And it's also my first time entering this restaurant with a decent suit," Yuuri glanced at the waitress, still the same girl who had served him in his two previous visits. Her face looked a bit down. Yuuri wondered if she was still thinking about Wolfram, "I just can't believe she gave me this table number 13 again. You think she recognizes me?"

"I don't think so," Conrad observed the waitress, "it was an almost perfect disguise."

"Yeah. _Almost_," Yuuri cringed, "by the way, when exactly did you find out about me?"

Conrad looked thoughtful for a moment, "…Since the time I asked Yozak to keep you company the day before yesterday… I knew that he'd lure you in to something like this."

Yuuri laughed, "Really? You must know him pretty well. You can even read his mind."

Yuuri didn't know if it was just his imagination, but Conrad looked a bit… nervous at the topic.

"Not really," Conrad coughed and recovered his smile, "I mean, he's pretty predictable."

"You think so?" Yuuri blinked, "I still find it hard to know what he's thinking about. Does he have a girlfriend? He seems busy all the time."

"I don't think he has someone like that," Conrad replied, "Well, he never told me."

"Really? It must be lonely, doing work all the time…" Yuuri commented, unaware of Conrad's sudden change of expression, "Umm… but maybe it is not that bad to stay single. As for me, as long as I have you and the others around, I'll never feel lonely."

Conrad's tensed face softened a bit, "…Yes. You're right."

Then they ate in silence. Yuuri didn't feel really comfortable with the silence, but couldn't find the right topic to start a conversation. Besides, Conrad didn't seem to be in a good mood. Yuuri wondered if he had by some means offended the man with his words.

'…_Perhaps I reminded him of his girlfriend when I talked about Yozak's girlfriend…'_ Yuuri stole a glance at the brunet who was still eating quietly, '_to think about it, Conrad is just the same with Yozak. He does work all the time and does not have time for a girlfriend… maybe I have said something I shouldn't have said…'_

"You know, Conrad," Conrad seemed a bit surprised at Yuuri's sudden voice breaking the silence, "I think a man who dedicates himself to his job is pretty cool."

Yuuri immediately regretted the words as Conrad stared at him with a puzzled look.

'…_He must be thinking that I'm weird…'_

"I---I mean---" Yuuri tried to correct his previous statement, "Working all the time, not having a girlfriend---I don't think it's bad at all. I'm even worse. I've never asked a girl out---the only woman I've ever kissed is my mom---ah, and also my teacher when I was in the kindergarten---a kind aunt who lived next door---but she has moved out a few months ago---and---and---"

The sound of Conrad's chuckle made Yuuri pause, glancing at the older man in confusion.

"I see." Conrad smiled, "I'm not very experienced with things like that either."

Then the silence fell again. But Yuuri was relieved. At least Conrad had seemed to overcome his earlier bad mood.

Yuuri turned his eyes to the number-tag on his table. It was his third time at the table number 13. Something was definitely wrong with it.

"I have been having a bad feeling about this. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to take you here."

Yuuri recalled Wolfram's words.

"Is something wrong?" Conrad asked, snapping him out of his deep thought.

"Nothing." Yuuri smiled, although he didn't seem very sincere, "I just remembered about something Wolfram said. He said that he had a bad feeling about us coming to this place. And it's my third time using table number 13. It kinda disturbs me."

Conrad smiled reassuringly, "Wolfram wasn't feeling well at the time."

Yuuri nodded, "Yeah… maybe that's why…"

"KYAAAAAAAAAA!"

Screams were heard from outside of the restaurant. All people inside the restaurant immediately stood up and gathered together, looking frightened. It seemed that they knew what was going on outside.

Yuuri reflexively stood up and was about to leave his table.

"Hold it." Conrad held Yuuri back. Some of the soldiers inside the restaurant had also stood up and got prepared.

"What's happening outside?" Yuuri asked.

"It might be the bandits." Conrad stood up and ordered one of the soldiers to go outside and inspect the circumstances. The soldier soon came back, informing Conrad that it was indeed the attack of the bandits.

"Please, wait here," Conrad placed a hand on Yuuri's shoulder and gave him a stern look, "I'll be right back to escort you back to the castle."

Yuuri didn't object. Conrad only spoke with that tone and look when he really meant his words.

Soon, Yuuri was left inside the restaurant with females, kids and a few males, most of the men had moved out to help the soldiers.

Although Conrad had assigned some soldiers to stay inside and guard the civilians, the most of the people had seemed to lose their cool. Children were crying, while their mothers tried to calm them down. The sound of battle from outside only worsened the situation. One more kid would start to cry when he heard a scream or a roar from outside. Conrad had definitely lied about the number of the bandits.

Ignoring a soldier's protest, Yuuri joined the females to soothe the crying children. He was glad that he could make most of the children calm by telling them that the Maou would soon come to blow all the villains away.

"Yuuri!"

Conrad entered the restaurant, "Yozak has taken care of Wolfram. It's time to leave."

"Eh? Now?" Yuuri looked doubtful as he glanced at the children who were now looking at him with pleading eyes, "I can't leave them here. Can we bring them along?"

"I'm afraid it is not possible," Conrad replied, "We don't have enough soldiers to guard them all. Besides, they're kids. It won't be easy to escort them. It will put all of us in danger."

"Just some soldiers would be fine! I'll protect them!" Yuuri insisted, "If we leave them here, they might be killed! I can't allow something like that happen to my people! I don't wanna run away by myself!"

Conrad sighed, knowing that knocking the king unconscious and carrying him all the way back to the castle was the only option to make him leave the children there.

"…I guess we can escort them up to the hideout." Conrad said.

"Hideout? We have something like that here?" Yuuri blinked.

"It's where townspeople hid during the previous attacks." Conrad explained, "It's a bit far from here, located in the middle of the town. We have sent most of the people there. This place has been surrounded by the bandits, so I planned to keep them inside and protect them until the situation was resolved."

"Is it possible to escort all of them there safely?" Yuuri asked.

Conrad nodded, "However, it will be dangerous."

Yuuri didn't waste a second and just nodded.

XXX

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

HEELS OVER HEAD

Chapter Six

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

_Beta-reader: **thisissong** (currently inactive)_

Alternate Universe. No spoilers, though I've (finally) watched it up to episode 41.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

The group finally got far enough from the dangerous area. Yuuri mentally counted the number of bandits they had knocked out so far and quickly realized that Yozak and Conrad had definitely lied about the 'small in number' thing. It was a big group of well-armed villains. The bandits almost outnumbered Conrad's army. Maybe it was the reason why Conrad had decided to take care of them by himself. Conrad's army was probably the only army that could defeat them.

"Are we there yet?" Yuuri asked the man whom he was riding with.

"Not yet. Just a bit more." Conrad replied, still focusing on the road in front of them. Yuuri couldn't see his face, but his tone sounded hoarse, making Yuuri feel a bit guilty for always causing him trouble.

Yuuri turned to his back, observing the townspeople who were walking behind them surrounded by some soldiers. The children had stopped crying, but they still seemed worried about their safety. Yuuri wasn't very calm about the circumstances either. His decision had endangered all the people, and he wouldn't be able to relax until they could deliver the townspeople safely to the hideout.

Yuuri winced as he felt a familiar sting in his head. He quickly shook his head and tried to focus his mind. He didn't want to lose himself at the time.

"Are you okay, Yuuri?" Conrad asked, turning his head to Yuuri.

"Uh… yes. I guess so." Yuuri managed out a smile, "I felt a bit dizzy. But I'm okay now."

"We're getting quite close," Conrad reassured, "you see the bridge over there?"

Yuuri looked over Conrad's shoulder and saw a bridge over a river, located about several hundred feet away from their place. "That one?"

"Yes. The place is just ahead of it. After we get close enough, we'll be able to see it. It seems like an abandoned mansion from outside, but it has a huge basement that's big enough for all the people in the town." Conrad smiled.

"Whoa, awesome place! Unbelievable!" Yuuri's eyes shimmered, "Who built it?"

"Gunter is more well-suited to answer it." Conrad chuckled, "All I know is that the place has been there for more than 100 years."

"Wow! I wanna see it!" Yuuri remarked cheerfully.

Conrad laughed, "Well, since you look so impatient, shall we race there?"

Yuuri was struck dumb as Conrad gently grabbed each of his hands and guided it around his waist. It took him a few more moments to realize what the older half-mazoku was planning to do.

"Hold on me tight, Heika." Conrad said cheerfully as he turned his eyes back to the road in front of him, "Here we..."

Yuuri's face turned pale, "Wait, you're not planning to..."

"...go!"

Yuuri closed his eyes tightly as the horse went wild and ran with the speed he had never experienced before. Yuuri was sure that if he let Conrad's waist go, he'd be blown off the horse.

Yuuri tightened his grip and pressed his face on the older man's back. If only he had the gut to open his eyes at the time, he might be able to see the uncharacteristic rare smug in Conrad's face.

"Here we are, Heika."

Yuuri warily opened his eyes as he felt that the excruciating ride was over. The bridge was now bared right in front of them. Yuuri turned to his back and saw the others were still far away behind them. Some soldiers looked surprised at their commander's sudden action, some were stoned in their place, and some were calling frantically for them. Conrad quickly shouted to them to keep their pace, then climbed down the horse calmly, ignoring Yuuri's glare.

"Were you trying to kill me?" He glowered to the smiling man.

"My apologies, Heika." Conrad replied, not sounding like he meant it, "has your headache gone?"

"More or less," Yuuri brought a hand up to his head and muttered softly, "…But I'd prefer aspirin next time."

"I'll keep that in mind," Conrad helped Yuuri to dismount carefully, "Unfortunately, the bridge isn't strong enough to cope with horse, so we'll have to leave our horse here."

"That's a relief," Yuuri sighed, "I wish I could just walk back home."

"I don't particularly mind walking you back to the castle, but it'll take a whole day to reach home on foot, Yuuri." Conrad let out an amused chuckle, "Saa, shall we cross the bridge now?"

Yuuri nodded as he excitedly ran to the bridge. A faint strange smell struck him instantly as he reached the middle of the bridge. The Maou looked around, trying to find the source of the bad smell, but he couldn't see any suspicious thing nearby. Deciding to ignore the weird smell, he turned around and looked over the river. Although the river looked small and clean, the current was actually pretty strong that he couldn't see through to the riverbed.

"Whoa!" Yuuri gasped as 'something' suddenly jumped up from the surface of the river and landed unceremoniously near his feet with a loud 'thud'.

"What---what on earth is that!"

Conrad looked at the 'thing' and smiled, "It's just a fish, Heika."

"It does not look like it!" Yuuri protested as he pointed to the quivering 'thing'. It _almost_ looked like a catfish, only that it had the size of an adult cat, the color of a giraffe, and a pair of frog's-like feet. Conrad only chuckled as he calmly picked the poor animal up and threw it back in to the river.

"Something like this happens every time ever since this bridge was built." Conrad explained, "This place is not a crowded spot, so most of them are not lucky enough to meet someone like us. Most just die of suffocation and get dried up here."

"That explains the smell… poor thing…" Yuuri said glumly, "People don't eat it, right?"

"Well, despite its weird looks, it actually tastes good. If I'm not mistaken, the restaurant we visited today uses the chopped dried fish in their special…", Conrad could only smile in sympathy as his king's face turned bluish at his explanations.

"I'll never go to the restaurant again!" Yuuri declared as he ran to the end of the bridge to avoid the smell, as Conrad calmly followed him from behind.

The sound of the stabbing arrow snapped Conrad out of his peaceful mind.

As he turned to his side and saw an arrow just a few feet behind him, he promptly shouted for his king's name.

Yuuri was taken aback for a while as he stopped at his track, then he turned to his back to find that Conrad was running frantically to his direction, and grabbed his waist just before the rain of arrows came upon them.

Then everything went blank.

XXX

"We thought you'd never come…"

Yuuri flinched at the voice, but still refusing to open his eyes. He still felt so sleepy, so weary.

"…and you brought '_that'_ all the way here just for his stupid speech?"

Yuuri was still persistently squeezing his eyes shut as the voices around him were getting louder and louder.

"...Ara! You're so sweet, Conrad! I'm so proud of you!"

'…_Conrad…?'_

Yuuri slowly opened his eyes, taking some time to adjust to the brightness of the room.

"...You just keep spoiling him!"

Everything was still blurred around him. Yuuri lazily rubbed his eyes.

"Heika, it's your favorite ice cream flavor, right? You must be happy."

Then everything became clear to Yuuri's vision.

"Eh?"

Yuuri blinked repeatedly as he tried to comprehend the whole circumstances. Then he looked around and saw everything he had seen in his previous dream. The dining room, his smiling comrades, the bright birthday decorations, and…

"Here, I hope it suits your taste."

…A cone of vanilla ice cream.

Yuuri elevated his view and saw the smiling face of his most trusted friend.

"Conrad…" He muttered softly as he instinctively brought his hand up to receive the ice cream cone, "…How did you…"

"We still have a whole fridge of it, in case you want more." Conrad smiled, "The vendor insisted. He said that it's a birthday present from him."

"…I see…" Yuuri expressionlessly glanced at the ice cream in his hand. Actually, he wasn't really in the mood to eat, besides he always liked the chocolate-flavored one better. But the vanilla ice cream suddenly looked very alluring.

'…_Just a little.. besides… Conrad had brought it all the way here for me…'_

With the thought, Yuuri brought the ice cream to his mouth, savoring its comfortable coldness and sweetness appreciatively.

"How's it?"

…The Maou promptly changed his mind. Vanilla had officially become his most favorite ice cream flavor.

"It's delicious," Yuuri smiled brightly, "Thanks, Conrad."

Conrad returned his smile, "I'm glad you like it."

Gwendal coughed. Yuuri lifted up his head and realized that all the people in the room was staring at them with delightful eyes. Even Wolfram was smiling at them at the moment.

"Well done! Since everybody is here, I suppose we can join the party now!" Cheri clapped her hands cheerfully as she signaled the guards to open the double-door to the main hall for them.

Yuuri gaped as the main hall came to his view. It was not the usual main hall he remembered. Apart from the extremely bright decorations Anissina had set up and the loud music, soldiers, nobles and common people were there, dancing, eating and having fun together! It was an absolutely impossible scene! Gunter had once told him that only aristocrats and upper-ranked soldiers were allowed to enter the main hall.

Ignoring his obvious puzzlement, his other friends casually entered the main hall, greeted by the people's loud cheers.

Not given the time to recover from the shock (and finish his new-found favorite ice cream), Yuuri was soon surrounded by the various people who merely wanted to see him, greeted him personally, or gave him a birthday present.

"He is the healthiest lamb in my ranch!" An old, but energetic farmer told him as he pulled his unwilling lamb to Yuuri's view, "I'd like to present him to you, Heika! I hope he can be useful to you!"

Yuuri tried his best not to cringe as he thanked the kind farmer for his effort and asked the guard to take care of the lamb for him.

"I---I---my boyfriend and I are huge fans of yours! Please sign this for us, Maou-Heika!" A blushing girl thrust a ragged shirt forward. Yuuri took a step backward defensively at the reek smell coming from the cloth.

"My boyfriend caught a cold, so he couldn't attend your birthday party, that's why I brought his favorite shirt here as his replacement! I'm sure that he'll be very happy to have your autograph on his shirt!"

Yuuri forced out a smile as he carefully signed the dirty cloth and thanked the girl for attending his party.

"Ooh! I'll never wash this!" The girl exclaimed happily as she turned around and jogged back to her friends.

"Maou-Heika! Sign my handkerchief too!"

"My favorite shoe too!"

"Maou-Heika, please accept my handmade cookies!"

"I specially made this for you, Maou-Heika!"

"Hey! Get away! I got here first!"

"What!"

Just as Yuuri thought that he couldn't stand it anymore, he spotted Conrad who was heading to his direction. Everybody instantly stopped talking, bowed their heads and stepped aside.

Having Conrad standing right in front of him, Yuuri immediately felt the difference. Conrad suddenly felt… a little bit shorter than usual. The feeling was almost similar like what he had felt with Gunter, only that it was stronger at the time, that he had always secretly compared his height to Conrad's, wanting to grow as tall as the brunet soon.

"If you don't mind," Conrad's words snapped him out of his thoughts, "can I have a moment alone with you, Yuuri?"

XXX

Yuuri kept the silence until they reached the quiet balcony. He knew what Conrad was about to ask, but he wasn't planning to say anything until Conrad triggered it.

"Everyone's happy for you, but you don't look very cheerful." Conrad stated as he watched the king lean his back on the wall, sighing heavily, "If you're upset about something, you can always share it with me."

Although Yuuri was not a personality who lied, he was actually considering the option to answer Conrad. Telling the concerned brunet that he was confusing dream for reality and reality for dream would not be the most reasonable way to explain his gloom in the supposedly happy day.

"No, you're wrong. I'm very happy right now." Yuuri forced a smile out, "…I'm just… tired. Yeah, tired, and sleepy."

Conrad obviously knew that he wasn't telling the truth, and was being considerate by giving him the time he needed to think. Yuuri stayed silent for a few more moments, before finally deciding to share his problem.

"Nee, Conrad... Maybe I have a mental-disorder…"

Conrad blinked, "What?"

Yuuri bowed his head down sheepishly, not daring to look at Conrad straight in the eye, "I know I sound silly… but… suddenly… I feel that everything has changed… so fast…"

"I see."

Yuuri still refused to look at Conrad, but the older man's tone sounded sincerely concerned.

"Lately, I have been having a weird, continued dream, that makes me feel like I'm being repeatedly transferred from one world to another…" He resumed, "…then, I don't know which is reality and which is dream anymore… it's so confusing…"

This time, Conrad didn't say anything, but Yuuri could hear the man's soft sigh.

"…You're mad to me?" Yuuri lifted up his head, smiling apologetically, "You and the others have done so much to make me happy, but I ignored everyone's feelings and kept thinking about incoherent things… I really feel like a bad guy…"

Conrad chuckled as he brought one hand up to Yuuri's shoulder reassuringly, "I'm not mad. Instead, I'm glad that nothing worse has happened to you, Yuuri."

Yuuri still looked doubtful, "Really?"

"Yes. I was thinking about various bad things that might have happened to you, and none of them came true. It was a relief." Conrad smiled as he raised his hand to Yuuri's cheek, brushing the faintly reddening face gently, "You put too much pressure on yourself. Exhaustion can make you become more sensitive and delusional. Try to relax and get more rest. I'm sure that you'll recuperate in no time."

Yuuri was momentarily distracted by the hand on his cheek, that he hadn't been listening to the older man at all. So he just nodded and pretended that he had been enlightened by Conrad's advice.

"Well then, since your birthday only comes once in a year, so let's not waste it and have some fun with your people, _Heika_." Conrad gestured him to return to the main hall.

Yuuri pouted, "I was stupid for thinking that you had finally decided to stop calling me like that, _nazukeoya_."

Conrad just smiled merrily in respond, as he escorted the young king back to the crowd.

XXX

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

HEELS OVER HEAD 

Chapter Seven

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **ProudSnapist** a.k.a **Sherlockian Slytherin**

Alternate Universe. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

When the clouds broke and the bright sunrays penetrated through the window of the big chamber, Maou Yuuri slowly came to his senses. The first thing that registered in his mind was…

-GROWL-

"…Hungry…"

As he sat up, he lazily rubbed his sleepy eyes and tried to stretch his cramped muscles. Although he had just slept for about ten hours, he felt like he had slept through a whole day. His head was a bit dizzy, his legs felt numb, and his sight was blurry.

-GROWL-

…And the stinging feeling in his stomach… it was killing him.

…What's wrong with me?

Ignoring the pain, he sorely climbed down his bed and reached for his dresser, still wondering why he was feeling so starved. He wasn't supposed to feel so ravenous. Not after all the food he had eaten the night before during his birthday party.

…What's wrong with me?

He closed his eyes again at the sudden sting in his chest. It felt so painful that he thought he was going to die.

_What's wrong with me?_

Yuuri tried to keep his balance, slowly making his way forward although he was unsure where he was heading. Everything looked blurred around him.

He collapsed just as Wolfram entered the room.

XXX

"You caught a cold. You should take a full-time rest today." Gisela ended her explanations, "I'm glad it's not a serious illness, Heika. Wolfram and the others looked so terrified. I seriously thought of various bad things that might have happened to you."

Yuuri could only smile weakly in response.

"You said that you felt a great pain in your chest?" Gisela asked again.

Yuuri nodded, "Yes, it was really painful."

Gisela smiled reassuringly, "I'm not sure what the cause may be, but I'll perform further examinations to find out. Don't worry."

Yuuri nodded again, although he wasn't really interested in finding out anymore. He was just glad that the pain was over.

"Then, let's call it a day. I'll leave you alone here to rest." Gisela collected her medical equipment, "Once more, please take care of yourself, Heika. You're getting me into trouble by collapsing like that while Sir Conrad is away."

The statement struck Yuuri. She was right. Wolfram had come to wake him up instead of Conrad. It meant that the older half-mazoku had been gone early in the morning.

"…Where did he go to?" he asked silently.

"Huh?" Gisela was perplexed, "I heard that he had an errand to run in the town. He'll come back in the evening. Didn't he tell you about it?"

Yuuri shook his head glumly.

"Oh… well… he was supposed to inform you about this yesterday…" Gisela looked unsure how to respond as her king looked quite disappointed about it.

Yuuri quickly recovered his smile as he realized how childish his reaction was. Of course, although Conrad had vowed to protect him with everything, it didn't mean that he would, _literally_, always stay by his side. Perhaps the sudden immature thought that Conrad should never leave him without telling him was caused by the fever.

"Umm… Gisela-san…" Yuuri muttered weakly. His throat still felt sore. "Can you… ask Wolfram to come here? I need to talk to him."

Yes, he didn't need rest. He needed someone to keep him company. Without the presence of Conrad, Wolfram was the only one he could think of. He also planned to ask Wolfram about Conrad in more detail.

After waiting anxiously for a few moments, the blond finally arrived at his room, looking concerned.

"How're you feeling, wimp?" He asked.

Yuuri wasn't exactly listening to him. Wolfram's long blond hair was still as captivating as the first time Yuuri had seen it.

"Just don't let it happen again, okay? I thought my heart was going to stop." Wolfram, not noticing Yuuri's stare, pulled a chair by Yuuri's bed and sat down, "hey, answer me. Don't scare me like that."

"Yeah… I'm feeling okay now… in some way…" Yuuri smiled, "Hey, Wolfram, what errand is Conrad running at the town?"

Yuuri thought that Wolfram would be annoyed that he was dragged there only to answer his questions about Conrad. But it didn't seem like it. In fact, he was smiling amusedly at the question.

"I wonder," he shrugged, "that man keeps everything to himself. But we can already guess what he's up to."

Yuuri became even more puzzled than before, "What do you mean?"

This time, Wolfram chuckled, as if Yuuri had said something really funny, "You don't have to worry about it. Well, I can understand that you're vexed… since his taste is… singular. Anyway, I suggest you be prepared and be nice when he comes back. He must have worked quite hard for it."

More question tags appeared above Yuuri's head. He still didn't get it at all. What might Conrad be doing (that apparently had something to do with his '_singular'_ taste) that would make him both worried and have to be nice? The more he tried to figure it out, the more confused he became.

Yuuri was about to ask more when a knock at the door distracted both of them. Wolfram looked like he knew who it was.

"Sir Wolfram, Sir Gwendal demands your presence right away."

Wolfram sighed, "I have to go now. Just sleep. I'll come back as soon as possible."

Yuuri didn't favor the idea of being left alone, but nodded anyway.

"As soon as possible, okay?"

Wolfram held back a wide smile, "Stop acting like a baby, old man."

Yuuri turned his face away sheepishly. He knew that he was acting like a spoiled child. He wished he had known why. Once more, he blamed his fever for that.

"I'll come back in about half an hour. Refrain from weeping until then." Wolfram remarked for the last time before shutting the door. And Yuuri was once more engulfed within the silence of his huge chamber.

Trying to ignore his loneliness, he pulled his blanket up and tried to relax. It was harder than he had imagined. Although he had tried various positions to loosen up his muscles, his heart refused to cooperate. It was pounding so hard, as if it was expecting something. After a few minutes of struggling, Yuuri finally decided to get up. He thought that maybe he'd forget about his anxiety when he had something to do.

It turned out that what he wanted to do was just as difficult. When he tried to stand up, his legs shook and he ended up falling back down on his bed.

Yuuri moaned as he rested his head back on to the mattress. He had never felt so helpless in his entire life. His wobbly emotions also felt quite disturbing. His whole body felt so sore that he couldn't think straight. He couldn't stop thinking about Wolfram's words, and also why Conrad hadn't asked for his permission for leaving him that day, the day when he needed him the most.

Yuuri closed his eyes tightly, trying to bring back his old cool-self. He was never a sensitive person to begin with, so where could have the girly delicacy come from? He just had no clue.

Yuuri glanced down at his useless legs and decided to give them another chance. He carefully brought his legs down and tried to stand up again. This time, with more determination, he made it.

Satisfied with the result, he continued by lifting up one foot and tried to step forward. After the third step, everything had seemed to go well. But as he made the move for the fourth, he lost his balance and fell backward. That time, there was no mattress to save him from the floor. He closed his eyes tightly, getting prepared for the pain. But it never came. Someone was supporting him from behind.

"You shouldn't have pushed it, Shibuya."

Yuuri carefully opened his eyes at the familiar voice. For a moment, he thought that Conrad had returned. But then he realized that it wasn't Conrad's voice.

"Thanks…" he muttered weakly as he carefully sat down on the carpeted floor. He didn't have enough power to stand up anymore.

"Sorry, I never expected your condition to be this bad… I should have come to visit you earlier…"

"It's okay. I'm just…" Yuuri lifted up his face to see who his lifesaver was. But his double bed was all he could see in front of him. There was nobody else there. "…exhausted…"

Yuuri was struck speechless for a moment. Then he turned around and scanned the whole room for another presence. Still, he couldn't see anyone else there. For the first time in his life, Yuuri considered that he might have gone insane.

_Calm down… calm down, Yuuri… there's only one reasonable explanation for this… It's just a dream… yes… everything that has happened since the morning did not truly happen… I'm just dreaming right now… I must be dreaming… it can't be real…_

"Huh? Why are you staying silent? Does it hurt again?"

Yuuri gaped. After getting transferred to Shin Makoku and encountering various weird events, he had learned that nothing was impossible, like turning from an ordinary schoolboy in to a demon king. He had also once thought that he had seen every single weird thing in Shin Makoku. But perhaps he had also been wrong about that. He hadn't seen them all. Most probably, he still had a long way to go.

"How are you feeling?" The voice rang again, sounding concerned and friendly. But Yuuri wasn't completely reassured.

While telling himself that the voice was just one of the one hundred thousand and one wonders of Shin Makoku, he tried to regain his voice, "Who are you?"

"What? Oh, right… you can't see me. Wait a minute."

Yuuri kept his eyes open as a bluish glow came to his view. The glow slowly got bigger and bigger, shining brighter and brighter. At the peak, its shine became so blinding that Yuuri was forced to close his eyes and wait until everything passed. And by the time he recovered his vision, the glow had been replaced by a human-like creature, dressed in a high school uniform. It looked exactly like a normal teenager, except it was floating in the air, fist-sized, had a holy ring floating above his head and had a pair of transparent wings attached onto his back.

Actually, Yuuri wasn't quite surprised with it. Since dragons and flying skeletons existed, it should be no big deal that other fantasy creatures also existed in Shin Makoku. Like mermaids, like fairies. Yuuri was just staring because the fairy's face… looked exactly like his friend, Murata.

"Murata?" he tried, narrowing his eyes to take a better look. It still looked like his friend to him, "What are you doing here? Did you get sucked up in the toilet too?"

"No, Shibuya. I'm not your friend Murata." chibi-Murata replied. Yuuri confirmed that it definitely was Murata's voice.

"What are you saying? It's you!" Yuuri suddenly regained his strength and stood up, before stepping forward to approach the floating creature, "What happened? What are you doing here?"

"Well," chibi-Murata dodged just in time before Yuuri had the chance to grab him, "I'm unnamed anyway. You can call me Murata if it makes you feel better."

Yuuri wasn't listening to him. He was too preoccupied with the sight of his best friend's miniature. It had never occurred to him before that Murata would look so cute at the scale of 1/20. And before he realized it, he was already chasing after the small creature, who was having a hard time evading him around the chamber.

"Shibuya! I'm no toy! Stop chasing me!"

Realizing that the king was delusional and wasn't listening to him, chibi-Murata decided to attempt the last resort, which was also the thing he hated the most: violence.

THUMP!

XXX

By the time Yuuri regained his senses, he was already back on his bed. He didn't know why, but he had felt much healthier than before. His mind was clear and his chest had slowed its pounding.

The room was still as silent as he remembered, but he could sense the other presence there. Somehow, he just knew who it was.

"…Murata?"

"Welcome back, Shibuya."

Yuuri turned to his side and saw Murata. This time, it was not his chibi version. It was the big Murata, who looked exactly like his best friend. The only thing that made the difference was probably the glowing holy ring he had above his head. But the wings and the glow around his body had been completely out of sight.

"How are you feeling?" Murata asked.

"Uh… a bit dizzy… but much better… I guess…" Yuuri slowly sat up.

"Sorry that I had to smack you with my holy wand. It was purely self-defense." Murata smiled apologetically, bowing his head down. Yuuri could see the holy wand he was holding.

"Yeah… it's okay… I'm the one who should apologize for acting so strange before…" Yuuri brought his hand up, rubbing the aching spot with a cringe, "you said you're not Murata. Then who are you? You look exactly like him. Especially since you're his size now."

Yuuri watched in curiosity as Murata sat down on Wolfram's chair and stared back at him, "Listen to me carefully, Shibuya. I'm not allowed to repeat."

Yuuri wondered who was the one who had prohibited him to repeat his explanations, but Murata started before he had the chance to ask.

"I don't know how to start this… but I guess I'll start by telling you that you're dreaming right now."

The king was struck speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond. It was true that everything felt a bit weirder, but it was still hard for Yuuri to accept that he had been dreaming all along. That all the things he had experienced weren't real.

"…What?"

Murata nodded, "Well, you're not exactly sleeping. Perhaps the term 'unconscious' would be more appropriate."

Yuuri remained silent, staring down at the other's eyes in puzzlement.

"Don't you remember what happened last time?" Murata narrowed his eyes, "…You went to the town, attacked by the bandits at the bridge, then…"

"_**YUURI!"**_

Yuuri felt a stab in his chest. He remembered now. He remembered what had happened at the time.

"Conrad…" he murmured softly, "…what… have I done…"

Murata sighed, "Sir Weller is…"

"He protected me! We jumped together in to the river to dodge the arrows! He was sheltering me all the time!" Yuuri exclaimed, "How's he! How is he now? Tell me!"

"Wait, Shibuya. Listen to me first. He is…"

"I wanna see him right now!" Yuuri tried to stand up and ran, but his legs still felt weak. He fell back down as soon as he got onto his feet.

Yuuri tried again, and failed for the second time. It also happened with the third, fourth, and fifth time. Yuuri didn't remember how many times he had attempted to stand, but all of them failed. Murata didn't try to stop him. He just waited until the persistent king exhausted himself and gave up.

As Yuuri stubbornly started to crawl his way to the door, Murata made his move to stop him.

"…It's no use. He isn't here. After all, it's just your dream."

"Nonsense!" Yuuri cried, "He's here! I saw him yesterday at my birthday party! I met him! I talked to him!"

Murata just let out another sympathetic smile and shook his head, "…We both know that the person you met isn't real. Nothing's real here. Not even me. Or you."

Yuuri glared at the boy, breathing heavily. His dark-colored eyes looked glassy.

"…Does it mean that there's nothing I can do here?" He asked hoarsely.

Murata shook his head again.

It was all the answer Yuuri needed. He obediently let Murata take him back to his bed.

"It can't be real…" Yuuri whimpered silently, "…it can't be real…"

Murata understandingly sat down and chose to stay silent. He intended to wait until the king recovered from the shock. But Yuuri wasn't willing to wait for too long. He wanted to know about everything that he had missed as soon as possible.

"…Do you know what happened after I passed out?" Yuuri asked quietly.

"…First of all, I'd like to tell you that I'm just a part of your dream. That's why I can't tell you anything about Sir Weller's condition now. He's out of my reach." Replied Murata, not keeping his eyes off the king.

Yuuri nodded, "Go on."

"And now… I'm going to introduce myself to you."

"Huh?"

Yuuri was forced to close his eyes again as Murata emitted another blinding ray with his wand. When he opened his eyes, the big Murata had been resized in to chibi Murata.

"I was unnamed, then you, my creator, referred to me as Murata. Therefore, my name is Murata now." Murata explained, "The appearance that I have right now were taken randomly from your memories. It was purely coincidental that I took Murata, your best friend's figure. That's the reason why I am identical to him."

Yuuri nodded again. He was starting to get the picture.

"My role here is to guide you throughout your unconscious state. My job will be over when you can finally regain your consciousness." Murata continued, "you might be wondering: why do you need my guidance in your own dream? I can explain that."

"Although you're now inside your own dream, it doesn't guarantee your safety. You can easily get lost here and lose your chance to regain your consciousness. That's why you need me. I'll tell you which places you should avoid, what actions you should take, and the things that you can and can't do. It's indispensable to always stick to the rules. There are many rules, but I'll tell you the important ones."

Yuuri was starting to feel weary. Even in his own dream he couldn't be free. It just felt unfair.

"Rule number one, you mustn't attempt anything to change the storyline of your dream. Of course, you can do it, since you're the owner of this dream, but it's forbidden. You must stick with the existing conditions without complaining."

It sounded easy enough for Yuuri.

"Number two, don't tell anybody other than me in this dream that you're the owner. Things can get really rough if you do, and you might not be able to return. Be careful with your words."

This rule didn't really bother Yuuri too. It's not like he wanted them to know.

"Number three, don't cause permanent damage here, such as killing."

This rule wasn't hard to obey, but it made Yuuri wonder why he couldn't kill someone in his dream. No matter how real it felt, it was still a mere dream.

"You're a Maou. That's why this rule becomes quite important." Murata had seemed to sense Yuuri's confusion, "You don't know whether it's just a common dream, or everybody's future."

Yuuri blinked, "What do you---"

"**_Conrad, do you think dreams can be continued on different days?"_**

"**_I suppose… it's possible."_**

"…_**Since you're a Maou, the dream might be a sign of something."**_

"_**Sign? Like foretelling?"**_

"…I understand." Yuuri sighed, "I'll be careful."

Murata smiled and nodded approvingly.

"Those are the three fundamental rules. I'll explain the others later. Now I'll move on to your conditions."

"I'm sure that your morning was horrible. I can explain the reason for the temporary changes that happened to you."

It was one of the things that Yuuri really wanted to know.

"First, your weakened physical condition and your unnatural hunger. It was caused by the pain and the hunger that your actual body felt. You can imagine how many bandages are wrapped around your body now. Common people are usually not sensitive enough to feel it, but since you're a Maou, your senses are more receptive than most people. That's why you felt so much pain."

"And second, the changes in your personality. It's kind of complicated, but I'll try my best to explain."

"Being unconscious can do funny things to your hormones and your mind. Especially since you're quite receptive. It rarely happens, but sometimes, the person who stays by your side for a long time when you are sleeping can influence you, and you will start to impersonate him."

"You mean, if it's Gunter who stays by my bed while I'm unconscious, I'll become him, and so on?"

"Not that extreme. But you'll at least feel what he feels, and think the same way he does."

Yuuri cringed. It was definitely Gunter's personality that he had impersonated before.

"I have taken care of both of the problems. As long as I'm by your side, you'll not have to experience them again."

Yuuri sighed in relief for that, "Then, what's next?"

Murata hesitated for a few moments. Yuuri quickly learned that he could easily read the small creature's mind by looking at his holy ring. A yellow glow meant that he was happy, a blue one meant that he was in a calm mood, and perhaps, what he was seeing at the time, a pink one, meant that he was trying to hide something.

Yuuri was silently enjoying his role as the owner of the dream.

"Hey, wimp, are you awake?"

Yuuri turned his eyes to the door. As usual, Wolfram never bothered to knock or wait for a reply. He just barged in and approached him, seemingly cheerful for some reason.

"Hey, you're still awake. I told you to take a rest." He commented casually as he got back to his favorite chair and sat down.

Yuuri repeatedly turned his eyes to Wolfram, then to Murata. Murata seemed to notice Wolfram's presence and stayed silently at his place, but Wolfram didn't seem to do the same.

"Sorry I was late. Brother made me do so much work. He didn't know that you were waiting for me here." He explained, "You look a bit healthier. How do you feel?"

"Well…" Yuuri turned his eyes to Murata, who was signaling him to ignore his presence and keep the conversation going, "I'm feeling a lot better now."

"That's good." Wolfram smiled, "You looked horribly sick this morning. I was thinking of dragging you to Ulrike-sama's place to get examined. But I guess it's not necessary now. And oh, have you heard about this? Yozak told me that there's a new Maou toy that is quite popular at the town now. The creator said that it took him years to create it, and it's…"

While Wolfram was talking, Yuuri couldn't take his eyes off the blond. The only thing that was different from the dream Wolfram and the actual Wolfram was probably his hair. For some reason, dream Wolfram's hair was long. Although it was just a dream, it felt strange for him to find Wolfram with long hair, since the neat mazoku had never grown his hair long before.

Yuuri remembered, when he had jokingly told Wolfram to grow his hair, the boy had looked so offended and had given him the cold-shoulder treatment for three days in a row. It seemed that his mother's bragging about how similar they looked had really troubled him. Wolfram had probably been terrified that he'd look like his mother's clone with long hair.

Yuuri just had to chuckle at the memory. Wolfram could be quite silly when it came to his mother.

In fact, now that Yuuri had seen him with long hair, Wolfram didn't look like Cheri at all. It suited him and made him look a bit manlier. Perhaps, when he woke up, he'd suggest the hairstyle to the real Wolfram.

"Hey, are you listening to me?"

"O… oh, yeah. Sure." Yuuri was snapped out of his thoughts, "So, how's the toy? Ask Yozak to buy some for me later. I'd like to see it."

Wolfram chuckled, "I knew you'd like this one. It's really cute."

Yuuri wondered if all the people in the dream were created based on his ideal. Wolfram was more pleasant, Conrad was more… well… affectionate and forward, Gunter was caring, Cheri and Anissina were more cheerful than usual, and Gwendal had also become a bit more sociable.

Although the new Wolfram was a lot more friendly, Yuuri had to admit that he missed the times when he was quarreling with the blond.

Yuuri looked down at his legs and tried to move them. It seemed that his body had been fully recovered. He didn't want to stay in bed all day. He wanted to explore the world of his dream. Perhaps he could find a way to return to the real world.

"Wolfram, how about going for a walk in the town?" He asked.

Murata didn't seem to object the idea. He gave his permission by nodding when Yuuri turned his eyes to him.

"Are you sure it's okay? Gisela told me that you should take a full-time rest today." Wolfram frowned.

"It's okay. I'm feeling much better now. See?" Yuuri climbed down his bed and went straight to get his clothes from the dresser. It felt great to have his strength again.

Wolfram still looked unsure, but nodded in the end after seeing Yuuri's reverted spirit. After all, he didn't think that Yuuri would be happy to stay in bed all day. If it was going to cheer the king up, he'd do it.

"We'll go to the town, but you must ride with me on my horse. I'm not sure that you can ride well." Wolfram said as he turned around and made his way to the door, "but don't tell brother about this. He's going to reprimand me for always following your stupid ideas."

Yuuri laughed, "It's because you think that it's a good idea."

Wolfram scoffed, "I won't take the responsibility if Brother Conrad hears about this. Go and explain your actions yourself."

"Then, I'll be waiting at the front gate. Be quick."

As Wolfram shut the door, Yuuri was reminded about his previous anxiety. He still didn't know if Conrad was okay. Conrad's condition must be worse than his, since Conrad had been sheltering him during the fall. Suddenly, Yuuri felt so heart-broken. What would he do if when he returned, Conrad had already… Yuuri didn't want to think about it. He didn't even know what he'd do if it really happened.

"…There's one thing that I was going to tell you before…"

Yuuri turned to chibi Murata, who was now floating on his side.

"What is it?"

"Sir Weller might still be alive."

Yuuri felt a jump inside his chest at the statement. Still, he wanted to confirm it. "He's alive? How do you know? You told me that…"

"Yes, I told you that as a part of your dream, my knowledge is limited." Murata still looked uncertain, "but I think I can remember it… faintly… I can remember hearing the maids' conversation about it… they said that Sir Weller was in a critical condition, just like you. But he's still alive."

Yuuri kept silent, frowning.

"That's why… I hope you won't give up. You must return to your consciousness and see him again. Can you promise me?"

Yuuri nodded.

XXX

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

HEELS OVER HEAD 

Chapter Eight

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **ProudSnapist** a.k.a **Sherlockian Slytherin**

Alternate Universe. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

Murata was wrong to think that the king would be engulfed with angst after knowing the truth. In fact, he had returned to his old-self as he walked out of his room and greeted everybody good morning on his way to the front gate. He also didn't seem disturbed by the fact that his surroundings were fake. He still looked and acted normally, as if nothing had changed.

Although a little part of Murata suspected that Yuuri had been feigning his cheerfulness, he decided to not be worried. He believed that Yuuri knew what he was doing and knew how to deal with everything. After all, he was the king.

"Orange."

Murata blinked, lifting up his head to meet the playful glance of the raven-haired king, "What's wrong, Shibuya?"

Yuuri just threw him a quick smile before turning around and resuming his walk.

Murata had to fight a smile as he trailed the young man from behind.

After all, he was the king.

XXX

"What took you so long, wimp?"

When Yuuri arrived at the front gate of Blood Pledge Castle, Wolfram had been standing there with a horse behind him, arms crossed impatiently at his tardiness.

"I wanna ride on a horse by myself!" Yuuri protested as he approached the blond.

"No. You're still not well." Wolfram replied firmly as he climbed up the horse, "Now get on the horse. Unless you want to abort the trip."

Muttering a soft grumble, Yuuri did as he was told. Wolfram looked satisfied at his obedience.

Now that he was riding with Wolfram, Yuuri could feel the difference in their height. Somehow, Wolfram seemed a few inches shorter than usual.

_Not only Wolfram, everybody seems shorter here,_ Yuuri thought curiously.

"Hey, Wolfram," he tried, "did you shrink or something?"

Wolfram twitched at the question, "Don't get too cocky just because you gained a few inches, wimp."

The statement dawned on Yuuri. He promptly glanced at his body, his legs, and his arms. Wolfram was right. It wasn't that other people had become shorter. He was the one who had grown taller and bigger!

_When did I grow this much anyway?_

Yuuri placed a hand on his shoulder. It was a bit broader. His muscles also felt firmer then usual. No wonder Cheri had looked a bit skinnier when he had compared her shoulder and his the day before. The people in Shin Makoku hadn't changed a lot because they were aging very slowly. That's also the reason why it had taken him quite some time to realize that he had hit his growth spurt.

After revealing another truth, there was still one thing that Yuuri was quite curious about.

"Hey, Wolfram… how old am I?"

"…You can't be that clueless, can you?"

In the end, Wolfram refused to answer him.

XXX

As the town came into Yuuri's view, Yuuri had to hold back his astonishment. The area in front of him was no longer the place he had once known. From the distance, he could only see a huge front gate, guarded by a squad of scary-looking guards. But as he and Wolfram got closer, the guards took off their daunting faces at once, approached and greeted them graciously.

"Welcome, Your Majesty, Your Highness," said the leader of the squad. He looked surprisingly friendly. "Thank you for visiting us. What can I help you with?"

"His Majesty intends to take a look around this place." Wolfram replied.

"Shall we guard you on your way?" The leader asked again.

"No. And don't worry. I'll protect him with my life, my hands and my heart," Wolfram answered as he threw a playful glance at the bewildered king, "in place of my brother, of course."

Then suddenly the leader and the entire squad laughed, very loudly.

Yuuri, being the only clueless one, started to look around in confusion. What were they laughing about? Yuuri wanted to ask Wolfram about it, but the boy looked like he was also having a hard time holding his mirth back.

After the sound of laughter died down, the leader quickly apologized for their impoliteness. Before Yuuri had his chance to ask, Wolfram told him to open the gate for them.

"What were you laughing about?" Yuuri asked as they entered the town, "did you say something funny? I didn't get it at all."

"You'll see later," Wolfram still looked amused, "I'll show you."

Yuuri wasn't satisfied with the answer, but decided to wait. For a moment, he remembered about Murata and looked back to make sure that the little fairy was still there.

"Sorry, I don't know what they were laughing about either." Murata smiled apologetically. Yuuri gave him a nod before turning back to the front. Once more, Yuuri was forced to gasp at the view in front of him.

"Ha…"

"Still as crowded as usual." Wolfram sighed as he climbed down his horse and signaled Yuuri to get down as well.

"Ha…"

Wolfram looked up to the gaping king with a questioning look, "Hurry. What are you waiting for?"

"Ha…"

"Yuuri, I'm telling you…"

"_Harajuku_!"

Yuuri slowly climbed down the horse, not taking his eyes off the sight. The simple town he had once known did not exist anymore. The town had been completely transformed in to an open market town. Shops, restaurants, boutiques and markets were scattered around the place. It was also splendidly crowded with tourists, and most of them were wearing various school uniforms as if it was the latest fashion there. The most popular design seemed to be his school uniform. Even some girls wore it, replacing the trousers with a skirt.

"What are you staring at?" Wolfram threw him a strange look. "Forget it. You won't be able to find Brother Conrad. It's way too crowded here."

Yuuri turned to the blond with a disbelieving look, "Why are they wearing my uniform? What's happening in this place?"

Wolfram sighed, "They are imitating you, as usual."

Yuuri was still staring at the people in astonishment. Then he remembered about the girls in his class who often talked about imitating a popular actress' hairstyle. He immediately became conscious of the fact that people, no matter where they were, liked to imitate the person they idolized. It had never crossed his mind before that he'd someday set a trend among the people.

_But this place looks like a school bazaar (or otaku island XP) now… thanks to the vogue I set…_ Yuuri sweated, _what have I done to this place? Even if it's just a dream…_

"Here."

Yuuri glanced down at the 'things' Wolfram was passing him in disbelief. It was a complete pack of female suits. Yuuri remembered wearing the similar set in his previous trip to the town in real life, but he didn't expect to have to wear a dress again in his dream.

"…What do you want me to do with these?"

"Wear them." Wolfram instructed casually.

"I don't need to cross-dress now! Why can't I enter the town as a man!" Yuuri protested, almost hysterically. He started to worry about his future as a healthy, straight, sober, and normal man.

"It's fine. You don't need to wear them," Wolfram replied coolly as he put on his sunglasses. He looked surprisingly manlier with them, "After all, it's not me who'll get molested by fans, sign autographs till my hands get numb, and get crushed under their feet in the process."

The king shuddered, looking down at the items he was holding in hesitation. It seemed that he had no choice, although he really preferred his old red wig and contact lenses at the moment.

As an old man wearing a P.E. uniform, passed him by, Yuuri shuddered again.

…_Anyone… please, wake me up…_

XXX

Yuuri was sitting alone in a fast-food restaurant with a half-bitten cheeseburger in front of him. He had intended to find some sort of hint about how to get back to his consciousness, but there was no clue around the town. The place was no different than the fast food restaurant near his house (only that all the waiters and waitresses wore summer sailor uniforms). Although he hadn't eaten any decent food since the morning, he didn't feel like eating at all.

A moment before, Wolfram had left him alone, saying that he had wanted to get something for him. Then when Yuuri looked around to find Murata, the fairy had disappeared too.

Yuuri glumly stared darkly at his surroundings, stirring his soda uninterestedly. He really hoped that his friends would be back soon so that the guys who had been trying to hit on him would give it up. Even though it was only a dream, he'd rather die than say something like: 'Sorry, I'm waiting for my boyfriend.'

"Hi."

Yuuri lifted up his head to find the human-sized blond-version Murata approaching him, smiling cheerfully.

Before the king had a chance to ask him where he had gone to, Murata called one of the waitresses and ordered French fries. Yuuri just stared at the scene in confusion. He had thought nobody but him had been able to see Murata.

"Lovely taste, Shibuya," Murata commented with a wide smile, "You know, I like the design of the skirt. Especially that part. The color looks…"

"Murata…" Yuuri growled menacingly. Murata smartly shut his mouth up, still smiling innocently.

"What are you doing here anyway? I thought nobody but me could see you."

"They can see me only if I want to." Murata calmly explained, "You can do the same thing. It's not recommended, though. Because it will confuse your people."

"It's NOT recommended, but it's also NOT prohibited, is it?"

Yuuri's eyes glinted mischievously.

Murata immediately regretted his own words.

XXX

Not once in his life did Shibuya Yuuri ever imagined being an invisible man, not until it had been revealed to him that he had had the ability to become one. Unlike most people, Yuuri didn't have a set of wicked plans in his head as Murata carefully explained to him the procedures. He wasn't planning to enter the girl's restroom. He was not thinking about stealing things from the shops. He didn't even intend to scare people off by showing them the 'floating burger'.

Shibuya Yuuri, being as simple-minded as usual, just wanted to become one because it sounded cool. Plus, he wanted to make his childhood dream of invisibility come true.

"So, all I have to do is concentrate and believe that I'm invisible, right?" Yuuri asked again.

Murata nodded affirmatively, "Be careful and don't cause too much of a ruckus. Remember the rules."

"Got it, got it." The young king looked quite excited, "Can I try now?"

Murata was still doubtful if Yuuri really understood the consequences to his actions, but nodded anyway, "Okay then. Now close your eyes, listen to me carefully. I'll help you."

Yuuri closed his eyes and followed Murata's instructions to help him concentrate. A moment later, he was asked to open his eyes again and Murata announced that he was officially an invisible man.

Still finding it hard to believe, Yuuri went straight to the street and looked around to find a 'victim'. Luckily, his eyes landed on a familiar figure.

Wolfram had returned and was now searching for him in the restaurant. It was a perfect chance to prove his invisibility.

Yuuri carefully approached the blond and then called his name. It seemed that Wolfram had heard him, but he couldn't spot him although he had been standing next to blond the entire time.

"Wolfram!" Yuuri tried again, a bit louder this time.

Wolfram responded the same way. He looked around in confusion, trying to find the source of the voice to no avail.

Yuuri grinned victoriously. He had gained a new ability, and he was sure that it would be useful someday.

Not wanting to make Wolfram worried, Yuuri quickly returned to Murata's hidden place, transformed back to normal and came back to Wolfram. The blond was furious that he had wandered off without him, but was also relieved that nothing bad had happened. Yuuri didn't complain when Wolfram told him that they should get back to the castle. After all, he had had his share of fun.

XXX

Yuuri went straight to his longed bed as soon as he arrived at his room. It was still a bit too early for his bedtime, but he felt exhausted already after the outdoor activities with Wolfram. Although he had intended to wait until Conrad got home, he didn't think that his eyes would cooperate.

"Hey, Shibuya, what do you think you're doing?" Murata approached the worn-out king, blinking innocently.

"…wanna… sleep…" Yuuri mumbled incoherently, closing his eyes and relaxing his body.

"But you can't," chibi Murata transformed in to big Murata and sat on the side of the bed, shaking the half-conscious young man gently, "Listen to me. When you sleep in your dream, there's a good chance that you might not wake up again."

Yuuri jolted awake at the remark, "What!"

"Didn't I tell you about it?"

Yuuri shook his head, "But… how am I going to survive the days without sleeping? I'm really going to die! At least I wanna see my family for one last time!"

"Relax, Shibuya," Murata sweated at the king's frantic response, "remember, even now, you ARE sleeping. So you don't need to sleep here at all."

Yuuri still looked angst-ridden, "But I feel tired and sleepy! How come I don't need to sleep? You're just trying to hide it! I'm going to die!"

The fairy sighed, partly amused, "It's all in your mind. You think that you've done a lot of things, and it makes you think that you ought to be tired, although you don't actually feel it. Most people in real life often make the same mistake too. You are relying on rationality too much. Remember, it is not reality. It's just a dream. Try to convince your mind that you are not tired. It'll somehow work."

The task was harder than Yuuri had imagined. When he told himself that he was not tired, there came a reply from the back of his mind saying 'stop lying to yourself! You are exhausted!'. He had also almost fallen a sleep several times. Fortunately, Murata had been there to keep him awake by continuously talking with him and sometimes shaking his body.

After struggling for several hours, Yuuri could finally maintain his wakefulness and did not feel sleepy or tired anymore. But he still avoided his bed and sat on the floor, just in case the sleepiness suddenly returned.

"See? I told you, you don't need to sleep here." Murata smiled proudly, "you're a fast-learner, Shibuya. Normally, people wouldn't be able to reach your level until after several nights."

Yuuri didn't look quite happy with the praise. But he was relieved that he had been able to steer clear of the risk.

"How am I supposed to spend the rest of the night now?" he asked glumly, "It's cold here, and if I wander around at this hour and stay awake in the morning, it will be suspicious."

"Hmm… how about me telling you stories about the interesting history of Shin Makoku?" Murata suggested half-jokingly.

Yuuri cringed, "It's like you'll be singing me a lullaby."

"I did say: interesting." The fairy chuckled at his joke, "well then, we'll just do the thing you wanna do. I'm here to keep you company."

Yuuri smiled, "…Let's see… I wanna…"

Both Yuuri and Murata turned their eyes to the door as they heard familiar footsteps outside of the room.

"Oh, good evening, Sir Conrad! Did you just arrive?"

Yuuri held back a gasp. Murata poof-ed back in to chibi Murata and signaled the king to quietly return to his bed and feign sleep.

"Yes. Has His Majesty gone to bed?"

Yuuri closed his eyes tightly, holding his breath as he carefully listened to Conrad's voice. He just realized how very much he missed Conrad, although they had only been parted for one day.

"I think so. Are you going to check on him?"

Yuuri anxiously waited for Conrad's answer.

"Yes."

…And as usual, Conrad always said the things he needed to hear.

As the faint sound of the door rang in his ears, Yuuri nervously closed his eyes and waited. Unlike Conrad's soundless and steady footsteps, his heart was pounding so loud and fast that he was afraid that Conrad might be able to hear it.

The sound of Conrad's footsteps stopped. Yuuri could feel his presence very close to his body. His scent was overwhelming.

"…Yuuri? Are you still awake?" Conrad called, almost inaudibly.

The king held back the urge to open his eyes. He had missed him so much. He wanted to see him. He wanted to talk to him. He wanted to ask him where he had been during the day. But he didn't want to make him worry more than anything else.

_Calm down… calm down, Yuuri… you can do it…_ Yuuri tried to use the 'convince-the-mind-trick'. But it didn't seem to work at the time. His body wouldn't relax. The loud pounding in his heart wouldn't subside.

Yuuri waited and waited. Every second was painful and frustrating, and Conrad wasn't leaving his room.

Just as Yuuri thought that he wouldn't be able to hold back anymore, he felt a gentle pat on his cheek. Conrad's touch was as warm as usual. Like always, it could wash away every bit of anxiousness in his stomach.

After whispering a 'good night', Conrad finally left the room.

"…That was close," Murata commented as Conrad exited the door and walked back to his room, "do you think he knew that you were awake?"

"Probably…" Yuuri slowly opened his eyes and sat up, bringing one hand to his chest, feeling his own heartbeat, "After all, he knows everything about me… he understands me without needing to ask… and he named me… and he saved me numerous time… he always risks his life for me…"

Murata smiled, "He must mean a lot to you. It's nice to have someone like that."

Yuuri returned his smile, although the smile looked kind of bitter, "Yeah… I trust him more than anybody else…"

Realizing that his master was being reminded about his angst, Murata swiftly switched the topic for him, "How long do you plan to stay in bed, anyway. Hurry up and get down here. You'll easily fall asleep over there."

Yuuri just chuckled, then he rested his head back on the pillow and pulled his blanket up again, much to Murata's surprise, "It's okay, it's okay. It's too cold there. I'll just stay here for the rest of the night."

"Besides…" Yuuri added before Murata had a chance to object.

"…It's not like I'll be able to sleep after that…"

XXX

A moment after the sun rose, Yuuri decided that it was time for him to get up.

The morning was a bit chillier than the previous one, but Yuuri didn't really care. He got out of his bed and left his warm blanket without hesitation. He went straight away to get dressed. As he got ready, he was thinking that a morning exercise would help him rearrange his problematic mind.

As he opened the door, the guard in front of his room greeted him a gracious good morning and handed over a little box to him, saying that it was a present from Wolfram.

_Perhaps it's the thing that he bought yesterday in town,_ Yuuri thought as he received the box. It felt light.

After thanking the guard, Yuuri went back inside his room. He wanted to see what kind of gift Wolfram had given him.

"Let me unwrap it for you," Murata offered. Although he didn't show it on his face, he was also curious about it. Yuuri could see it through the blinking glow of his holy ring. Yuuri had also learned the meaning of the other colors so he could easily see through the fairy's mind.

"Oh…" Murata looked inside the box and smiled widely. His holy ring glowed a beautiful shade of lavender, "Shibuya, look. They're really cute."

"Huh? Really?" Yuuri picked the little box up carefully and looked inside. Much to his astonishment, the present turned out to be a pair of dolls. Precisely, one of the dolls resembled Conrad, and the other resembled himself.

"This… where did he get this?" Yuuri stared at both dolls disbelievingly, "Don't tell me that they're handmade…"

Just the image of Wolfram sitting by the window, sewing a doll was enough to make him chuckle. As long as the sun rose in the east, the thing was not possible.

"I must ask him where he bought these." Yuuri smiled happily as he picked up Conrad's doll, staring at it lovingly. He was surprised that the doll gained his liking so easily. He had used to think that dolls were too girly for him.

"Look, there's a switch on his back," Murata pointed up.

"You're right," Yuuri quickly spotted it and switched it on without a second thought, "I wonder what it can do. Perhaps it'll make this doll walk?"

They waited anxiously. But nothing happened.

"Is it broke? How about the other?"

Yuuri placed the doll back in to the box and picked up his own doll. It also had a switch on his back.

Yuuri switched it on, and like the previous one, nothing happened.

"It's strange…" Yuuri put the doll back in to the box, "Why did Wolfram buy---"

"I LOVE YOU, YUURI!"

"I LOVE YOU TOO, CONRAD!"

Both Yuuri and Murata froze at their places, staring at each other in disbelief.

"…What on earth…"

"I'LL PROTECT YOU NOT ONLY WITH MY HANDS, BUT ALSO WITH MY LIFE AND MY HEART!"

"I'M SO HAPPY, CONRAD!"

Yuuri quickly realized that the voices came from the dolls. Murata had also seemed to notice it, but both of them were too shocked to do anything to stop the dolls from screaming further.

"I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU!"

"ME NEITHER! LET'S BE TOGETHER FOREVER AFTER!"

The dolls resumed their _friendly_ conversation, as if they were in a world of their own.

"WILL YOU MARRY ME, YUURI?"

"WITH PLEASURE, CONRAD!"

Yuuri couldn't stand it anymore. He accidentally dropped the box and the dolls were thrown out apart from each other. Then the conversation finally stopped and Yuuri recalled how to breathe again.

"…What was that?" Murata muttered after a long moment of silence.

"…I… don't know…" Yuuri replied weakly.

And they stared at each other again in silence, not knowing how to respond to the previous incident.

"…Wolfram has to explain this…"

XXX

"Wolfram! Wolfram! Wake up!"

The blond slowly stirred, rubbing his eyes lazily, "…What the… it's still too early, wimp… lemme sleep…"

"The dolls! The dolls you gave me! Who made them? Is it Anissina-san?"

Wolfram closed his eyes again and muttered softly, "…you can thank me later for that… now lemme sleep first…"

"There's no way I like it! The dolls speak weird things! Haven't you heard it?"

"Yeah… I know… I've heard it… that's why I bought them…" Wolfram replied, still only half-awake.

"How could you---hey, don't fall asleep again! Wolfram!"

Wolfram finally gave up the idea of resuming his beauty sleep and faced the troubled 'problem' in front of him. At first, all he felt was annoyance for getting disturbed very early in the morning, but as he recovered his vision, he realized that something was terribly wrong with the king. He had never seen such an expression from Yuuri. It was like the mix of confusion and embarrassment and not knowing how to react.

"The dolls you gave me, when I turned on their switches and put them close to each other, they started screaming—things!" Yuuri started, trying to give the yawning blond in front of him a detailed picture of his problem, "And then, I dropped the box and they were thrown apart and they finally stopped screaming. Well, I've seen dolls of their type in my world before (my mom used to collect some of them), but how come someone produce the dolls of Conrad and me and designed them to say--things like that? Where did you buy them?"

"Those dolls are the dolls I talked about yesterday, remember?" Wolfram replied with a rare calmness in his voice. The way Yuuri reacted just astonished him that he had forgotten to yell, "They are quite popular among the people today. Be thankful. I went through a lot of trouble to get the ones I gave you, the limited edition of Super Duper Mushy Conrad x Yuuri Romance! It's the #1 doll set in demand in the market now!" (A/N: yeah, I know what you're thinking about right now, but be tough and bear it… –sweatdrop-)

Yuuri was struck speechless. If it was in his reality, Yuuri was sure that he would have fainted at this instant. Why would people buy such an embarrassing thing like that? And did it mean that Conrad had also known about it? How was he supposed to see the man with a straight face later?

While Yuuri was overwhelmed with his own problems, Wolfram was silently enjoying the troubled expression on the king, although he didn't really understand why Yuuri had looked so bothered with the dolls. He, like all of the people in the nation, thought that they were cute.

"Have you shown them to Conrad?" Yuuri asked while silently hoping that Wolfram would say 'no'. His heart shattered as the blond nodded positively. "What did he say about it?"

Wolfram made a thinking face, trying to recall his big brother's words on the previous night, "I think he likes them."

"Has he also known about the switch?" Yuuri asked again, terrified.

"I didn't turn it on for him, but he had known about it. He said that Yozak and several of his friends had been making fun of him using it." The blond yawned again, "So there, are you done with your interrogation? I'm going back to sleep."

Yuuri wanted to make Wolfram stay awake, but he was also unsure what else he wanted to know from him, so he didn't stop him from returning to his deep slumber.

The situation felt so weird. Wolfram, who had always said something like 'Hands off! He's my fiancé!' had suddenly bought him a Conrad x Yuuri doll set. Conrad, who was also supposed to be as panicked as him had reacted so casually at the presence of the embarrassing dolls. Even Yozak and the others had bought them just to tease Conrad. Then how was he supposed to counter it? The others were not responding the way they should. Even for a dream, the state was unthinkable.

Yuuri turned back to the door. He had to see Conrad and discuss it right away.

XXX

Although Yuuri had made the decision to see Conrad right away, he couldn't help feeling nervous as he arrived at Conrad's room. So he waited outside for a moment, trying to find the suitable words to explain the situation and ask for advice.

After waiting for several minutes, Yuuri made up his mind and knocked on the door.

He didn't have to wait for too long until somebody opened the door for him. But it was not Conrad. It was one of the maids.

"Eh? Heika? Are you looking for Sir Conrad?" The maid asked him.

"Heika is here?" Another maid appeared from her back, smiling at him cheerfully, "Good morning, Heika! What can I help you with?"

"He's looking for Sir Conrad." The first maid explained, "But it's strange. Sir Conrad had left long time ago to wake you up. Didn't you meet? Shall we look for him?"

Yuuri shook his head, "No, thanks. I'll go and find him myself. He's probably waiting for me outside for the morning exercise."

"Or maybe he is in the main hall to check on _it._" The second maid suddenly said.

"Oh, right. He probably is." The first maid blinked in realization, "I heard that he had brought home another… err… peculiar thing last night."

Yuuri looked at them in confusion, "What is it?"

"So you haven't seen it, Heika?" The second maid looked surprised, "Umm… I'm sorry for being impolite, but he's really no good at _it_. Maybe you should take over the job for him."

Yuuri was taken aback. As much as he knew, Conrad was doing his job excellently. What kind of mistake could have the man done that the maid was suggesting him to replace Conrad?

"What are you talking about? Sir Conrad has tried his best! Don't ask him to give up at this point!" The first maid scolded her friend, "Heika, please support Sir Conrad. Everybody in this castle has given up on him. You're the only one who can encourage him to go on."

Yuuri became even more puzzled, and could not even find the right question to ask.

"I'm so sorry, Heika. Please forget what I said." The second maid bowed down apologetically, "I---I also think that he's not that bad. With more encouragement from you, perhaps…"

By the time she lifted up her head again, her king had disappeared.

"Heika?"

"He left for the main hall." The first maid replied, smiling in amusement, "I wonder how'll he react when he sees _it_…"

The second maid sighed, "I hate to say this… but Sir Conrad is really bad at _this_ kind of thing…"

The first maid shrugged, "I'm just hoping they won't have to reschedule the wedding date again for this. I really want to see them together as soon as possible."

XXX

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

HEELS OVER HEAD 

Chapter Nine

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **ProudSnapist** a.k.a **Sherlockian Slytherin**

Alternate Universe. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

It was a beautiful morning, a perfect start for the day. Conrad was making his way to the main hall per Gunter's request to meet him.

Actually, he was feeling a bit nervous about Gunter's reaction to the new 'thing' he had brought home last night. He had never thought that it'd be this tough to find the right 'thing'. But since it had been his fourth time … he couldn't have failed again, could he?

Taking one deep breath as he came face to face with the door, Conrad slowly, but determinedly, turned the knob and opened the door.

Conrad found himself being immobilized momentarily by the sudden blinding rays of light and the loud sounds of 'The Prayer' playing from inside the room.

"Oh Shin Maou, Gunter begs you; please don't do this to us!"

Realizing that it was caused by Anissina's 'for dramatic scenes only' spotlight and sound system, Conrad entered the room without hesitation.

After adjusting his eyes, he could see the image that had temporarily shocked him into immobility. Gunter was kneeling in front of the huge spotlight in a perfect praying pose. Even roses and various decorations had been set in the background. If anyone who didn't know Gunter well enough had encountered this scene, they certainly would have thought that he was a saint or at least, a priest. A gorgeous one for that matter.

Despite having to admit that the scene was stunningly beautiful, Conrad knew that Gunter could stay in that pose for hours without numbing his muscles, and Conrad needed to find Yuuri soon.

"Good morning, Gunter."

Hearing Conrad's voice, Gunter quickly opened his eyes, stood up, turned the spotlight and the sound system off and returned to his usual-self.

"Good morning. For your information, I was praying for you and His Majesty."

Conrad smiled and lowered his head in response, "I can't thank you enough for always caring for us."

"No problem. It's a part of my duty as His Majesty's loyal follower. I must always pray for his happiness no matter what." Gunter cleared his throat.

Conrad waited in silence, knowing what he was about to say.

"I'm sorry to say this, but… _it_ is still not the right thing."

Although both of the men were just as frustrated, Conrad could hide it better with his smile.

"…I understand."

"You'll have to go and find it again today." The silver-haired mazoku ordered firmly, "And this is your last chance. If you fail again, then His Majesty will have to take over the task for you. You know what it means."

"I understand." Conrad replied, looking determined to get a better result.

"I know that it's a hard task for you. But as His Majesty's official fiancé, you're also responsible to uphold his honor. Keep that in mind while you're completing this task." Gunter threw a last desperate glance at the 'thing' before turning around and walking out of the room, "…Don't forget to ask someone to take care of it. I can't let His Majesty see it."

"I will."

Even after Gunter left the room, Conrad couldn't take his eyes off the _thing_ in front of him. He wondered if Gunter and the others really understood the difficulties he was experiencing with the task. Some people gave him countless advices in order to obtain the right thing, while the others told him to get something 'normal' and get it over with. He knew that the second choice was more convenient, but more than just carrying out a tradition, the thing was very important to him and Yuuri. He couldn't just pick a bucket of flowers and bring it home. He needed something more special, more personal. He wanted all the best for Yuuri. It was a bit frustrating, but he'd give it another turn. And this time, he'd ask for more reliable advice. He was determined not to fail again.

_Just wait, Yuuri,_ Conrad smiled at the image of his beloved king, _I'll be coming home with the right thing tonight…_

Along with the wishful thought, Conrad walked out of the room.

XXX

It wasn't very hard for him to feel the loving presence near him, even before he reached the door. Conrad was happy. He thought that they'd not be able to meet again until the evening.

"…Good morning. What are you doing here, Yuuri?"

Yuuri should have known that he could have never fooled Conrad, of all people. Just what had he been thinking when he had chosen to hide behind the door; the most cliché hideout of all?

And above all, he just realized that his left foot was showing.

"Uh… good morning too… and… well you see… I… uh… want to…"

When Yuuri thought that it had been over for him, Conrad saved him from his own question, "I suppose you want to see _it_."

Yuuri quickly nodded. Anything for not getting caught eavesdropping.

"I heard from the maids that you brought it home last night. So I thought…"

"Gunter told me to get rid of it before you saw it, so I'm afraid that I can't show it to you." Conrad smiled apologetically, "I'm so sorry for making you wait for so long. I promise I'll find the right thing today."

Despite having no clue at all, Yuuri still nodded and gave his encouragement, like the way the maids had told him to.

"I trust you. I'm sure that you'll find the right thing and make me proud, Conrad. Do your best. I'll be waiting for you right here."

The delight on Conrad's face made Yuuri's heart quiver. Although it had sounded somewhat mushy, he didn't regret what he had just said.

Yuuri held back a gasp as the man lowered his head and placed a peck on his cheek.

"I will not disappoint you again, Your Majesty."

Yuuri had never seen such an upbeat face on Conrad before. And before he realized it, his heart had betrayed his own preference. He could feel it thrashing around in his chest, for both Conrad's happy expression and the kiss.

_Be still, my heart._

"I… I… I'm going to… check on… the clouds! You know… err… I wanna see… whether it's going to rain or not today! S---See you later! Good luck on your search!"

XXX

When Yuuri regained his senses, he found himself in the middle of the new garden, looking up at the clouds dumbly. Then he realized that he was definitely not the type who lied.

"…It's sunny…" he muttered to himself, "…It's not going to rain today… I guess…"

Yuuri sweatdropped. For Shin Maou's sake, he wasn't a weather reporter! What on earth was he doing here, staring up at the sky? He needed to think! There were so many problems burdening his mind. Wasn't he supposed to mourn like other common distressed people?

"But the wind feels so nice today…" Yuuri closed his eyes, inhaling the soft breeze in relaxation. For someone who had just discovered that he was now engaged to a different fiancé (and had just been kissed by another man), he was being way too calm, he guessed.

_Conrad… my new fiancé…?_

Yuuri could still hear Gunter's voice, saying it over and over. Conrad was his fiancé. It wasn't Wolfram. It was Conrad. It wasn't Wolfram here. It was Conrad.

_What a far-fetched dream._

Yuuri sat down on the grass, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers around him once more. It felt so strange. Although it was just a dream, his five senses worked quite well. He had even tried pinching on his own arm, and it had hurt. Yuuri wondered what kind of dream he was experiencing.

"_You don't know whether it's just a common dream, or everybody's future."_

Yuuri shivered as he recalled Murata's words. Everybody's future? So it was how everything would become in several years down the road? Like how Conrad had replaced his own brother as his fiancé? Like how the awesome half-mazoku had been undervalued by all the people in the castle for failing some mysterious task? Like how the small town had turned in to 'Little Harajuku'? Like how the limited edition of Super Duper Mushy Conrad x Yuuri Romance sold well among the people?

No, it couldn't be a sign of the future. Everything was just way too absurd. It was definitely just a dream. A mere dream. He'd escape the situation as soon as he woke up.

"Mom, please take back your decree to revive the 'Draw the Love Symbol' tradition. I don't think he can do this."

Yuuri, for some senseless reason, ducked his head among the grass. It was Gwendal's voice.

"Ara? What are you saying, Gwendal? You don't trust your own brother?" Cheri's voice followed.

"He has failed numerously, Mother. I have given him a great deal of advice, yet he still failed to find it. Our people are making him a laughing-stock. I'm afraid that it'll hurt his reputation."

Yuuri lowered his head again to make sure that he wouldn't get caught. Actually, he forgot to lower the -cough- other parts of his body, but fortunately, both Gwendal and Cheri was too preoccupied with their conversation to notice his presence.

"I think it'll just boost his reputation up as a man who'll do anything for love. Isn't it wonderful?" Cheri squee-ed.

"I don't think they'll think the same way, Mom. They are most likely thinking that he has no common sense and he has made His Majesty wait for too long." Gwendal sounded really concerned, "I think his biggest problem is that he lacks creativity. Anissina invented the first photo-editor software for him, but all he could do was draw cropped circles. Even Wolfram can do a better job."

"That's the very reason why I changed the task to searching for the item instead of drawing it," Cheri replied, still sounding calm.

"And right after that, he started coming home with various weird things."

"You mean, interesting things." Cheri corrected.

"A ravaging sea bear and a giant blue cheese are NOT interesting!"

"Eee? How could you talk like that? The sea bear is quite cute! I named him 'Pochi'!"

Yuuri could immediately understand why Gwendal and Gunter were feeling so frustrated. But he still couldn't understand why Conrad had stupidly brought home such weird things. What could he be looking for?

"…Is that your best reaction to your son's inability to find the right wedding symbol for his upcoming marriage?"

Gwendal's statement struck Yuuri. The fiancé news had been shocking enough to him, and now it had developed in to a marriage plan? Just how far would this dream torture his mind?

"Listen, Gwendal. I can understand that you're concerned about your brother," Cheri spoke in a rare prudent tone, "but I think we have to leave this problem to him to solve. He has done so many unbelievable things for the sake of His Majesty. That determination will bring him to succeed. I always believe in the power of love. He will somehow make it, like all of the other previous times."

"…I understand, mother. I will not interfere again. I will also ignore the bad talk. Hopefully, they'll pass soon." Gwendal sighed, "But I think the most depressing thing for him is that he has disappointed His Majesty so many times."

Cheri nodded, still smiling.

"We all know that… but… remember what I said before to you and your brothers?" She brought one hand up, brushing Gwendal's cheek affectionately. Unlike usual, Gwendal seemed to welcome it. Yuuri had never seen such an honest expression on the dark-haired mazoku before.

"…Try to look through the clouds… because the sky has all the colors we want to see."

"I'm sure that he remembers it too." Cheri's face beamed, "After all… you're my boys."

XXX

"Murata!" Yuuri called for his dream fairy as he slammed the door of his room open, ignoring the questioning look of the guards and some passer-bys.

"Murata! I need you to make me disappear right now! I want to…"

"LOVE YOU! LOVE YOU! LOVE YOU, CONRAD!"

"YUURI, I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT YOU!"

The now human-sized fairy immediately took the dolls apart as he noticed his master's presence. He could only smile innocently at the king's dirty look. The holy ring was shining bright yellow.

"Look, Shibuya! These dolls can also be switched to Yuuri x Conrad mode! See the switch over here? It's…" Murata gulped and immediately pulled the dolls apart as Yuuri's sharp, cold eyes met his.

"Err… Can I help you with something?"

Yuuri turned his eyes to the evil creatures (a.k.a the limited edition of Super Duper Mushy Conrad x Yuuri Romance) and made a mental note to eliminate them as soon as possible. But for the time being, he'd go with his plan: to help Conrad through the task and save him from humiliation.

"I need you to make me invisible." Yuuri stated firmly, "I want to follow Conrad to town and make sure that he'll bring the right thing tonight."

Murata looked a bit puzzled, "Well, do you finally know what the 'thing' is?"

"Briefly, it's a wedding symbol. You should know about Shin Makoku old tradition better."

"Oh," the dream fairy made a thinking face, "I've heard about it. But I didn't know that it was still in use till now."

"Can you explain it to me?" Yuuri sat down on the bed, looking curious.

"Sure, but… oh! Look over there! Gwendal in Cheri-sama's wedding dress is being chased by a lovesick Gunter!" Murata gasped as he pointed to the window.

"What! Where!" Yuuri quickly ran to the window and looked outside to see the hilarious scene.

Murata used the chance to produce a small pack with his magic wand and threw the dolls in to it.

"Where, Murata?" Yuuri was still curiously looking around by the window.

"Sorry, seems like my eyes were playing tricks on me." The fairy smiled innocently as he poof-ed the pack to disappear, "now I'll explain to you what I know about the tradition."

Yuuri nodded and returned to the bed.

"Long time ago, Shin Makoku had an important pre-wedding tradition, which was 'Draw the Love Symbol' ceremony. A few months before the wedding, the husband was required to draw the symbol that would be used as his wedding symbol. The symbol is basically boundless and can be anything, but it must represent his relationship with his wife. Some elders said that a bad symbol would cause a bad relationship too. So the husband had to think it over and over before determining what symbol he'd use." The raven-haired boy explained, "However, the tradition has been long forgotten, since not all people can draw well. It'd be good to be engaged to a visually talented artist for a husband, but how is that possible if the husband is a military man who only knows how to wield a sword? The wife would definitely be very troubled."

_That's just SO Conrad…_ Yuuri sweatdropped, _…does it make me the troubled wife, then?_

"…Due to those reasons, the tradition had been abandoned for a long time." Murata said as he ended his explanation, "But regarding what you have said, it seems that someone reawakened the tradition for some reason. And he modified it to 'Find the Love Symbol' for the ones who couldn't draw."

"I see," Yuuri nodded, "Are there special requirements for the wedding symbol?"

"No, since it comes from the heart. People can basically use anythingas long as it's decent, I guess. There is also a strict rule that prohibits anybody from helping the husband during the drawing ceremony. But we're allowed to ignore that."

The king sighed. A ravaging sea-bear, a mayonnaise-maker and a giant blue cheese were indeed indecent. He wondered how Conrad had decided to bring those things home as their wedding-symbol.

_If I can make him bring home a decent thing, then he'd be accepted._ Yuuri looked relieved that he came to a conclusion. The task did seem easy.

"Okay then, here's the plan," Yuuri explained, "We're going to follow him in today's trip and help him when it's necessary. I'll tell Gunter that I want to get some rest in my room today, then I'll ask the guards to not let anybody in. After breakfast, I'll come back here. After that, we'll go together to the front gate. I'm sure that we can 'borrow' a horse there."

"All right. Then I'll be preparing myself…"

Yuuri was again forced to close his eyes as Murata's body emitted blinding rays of light. He opened his eyes again to find the boy in contemporary traveler's attire, along with the traveling set, which consisted of binoculars, suntan, digital camera, hat, bandana… and whatever else he had in his backpack.

"Hey, hey, don't you think you're exaggerating?" Yuuri laughed, "What're the compass and the world map for anyway?"

"I've always wanted to do this for a long time. Please don't mind me." Murata replied, almost too calmly, "By the way, it's getting late. You should go to the dining room now."

"Oh, you're right," Yuuri promptly stood up and made his way to the door, "Wait for me. I'll be back soon."

"No problem." Murata looked outside the window and blinked in realization.

"By the way, whom is Sir Conrad getting married to?"

Yuuri pretended that he hadn't heard anything and slammed the door shut.

XXX

Following Conrad was easier than Yuuri had expected, since Conrad seemed to be leisurely taking his time. He even spared some minutes to stop by a wildflower field to get some of the lavender-colored flowers.

After carefully storing the flowers inside his bag, Conrad resumed his trip to a small human village. It was a place Yuuri had never seen before. Everyone there seemed to know Conrad well. As the man entered the town and climbed down his horse, they immediately gathered around him to greet him and ask him questions, mostly about his upcoming marriage and the wedding symbol he was supposed to acquire.

Yuuri could see that Conrad was trying to answer all the questions, but it seemed impossible since they were all speaking in unison, each with a different question.

"It seems that he's quite popular here." Murata commented calmly, smiling at the scene with a relaxed expression, "Oh, look, a cute girl is holding onto his arm tightly! Watch it, Shibuya. Someone might snatch him away from you."

Yuuri faked a smile, "What are you talking about? He's free to go out with anyone. I'm not going to interfere with his personal life. Oh, right! The girl is so cute! They're quite fitting for each other don't you think so? Ha ha ha…"

…_So transparent. _

Murata tried to hold back his amused chuckle as the king started to stare at the mentioned cute girl.

"Sir Conrad!"

All the people stopped talking as a beautiful lady came out from one of the houses and ran to Conrad with tears in her eyes. It seemed that she was a special person, since the people immediately strove to make way for her to get through.

"Oh, Sir Conrad! Thank you for visiting us today!"

Murata could have sworn that Yuuri's face had slightly tensed as the beautiful lady grabbed Conrad's hand and held it close to her chest.

"My mother… she wants to talk to you… could you please meet her now?"

As expected, Conrad nodded and had let her drag him to her house. The other people followed them like faithful believers.

Murata stepped forward to follow the crowd, but Yuuri didn't seem like he was going to move anytime soon. So the fairy paused and turned around to face the king.

"We're not going to follow them?"

Yuuri hesitated for a moment before nodding weakly.

The dream fairy smiled understandingly, "Don't worry. He's just going to meet her mother."

Yuuri was surprised that the encouragement could actually calm his pounding heart down.

XXX

The old lady who was lying in bed looked healthier than Yuuri had expected. Unlike his first bad impression of her daughter, she actually reminded him of a kind aunt who had once lived in his neighborhood.

"Oh, Sir Conrad…" The old lady also did the same thing her daughter had done, and even said the same thing. But Yuuri found it surprisingly a lot less disconcerting. "Thank you for coming back to visit me."

"You have no reason to thank me," Conrad replied politely, "I should thank you for all of your advice. I will never forget them."

"Really? I thought my advice hadn't helped you that much, since you are still unable to find it…" The old woman chuckled, "You came back to redo it again, didn't you?"

The half-mazoku smiled apologetically in response, "Forgive me for neglecting you over and over."

"There's no need to apologize, Sir. You have your own difficulties." The daughter defended him.

Murata watched the change in Yuuri's expression carefully and found it quite entertaining.

"I'm sure that Mom also understands. Right, Mom?"

"I know. I am not blaming him." The old woman replied calmly, still brushing Conrad's hand with her thin fingers lovingly, "Sir, I really hope that I can help."

"You have done enough. It's time for me to make my own decisions." Conrad answered with a determined face, "I will not disappoint His Majesty… and you again."

"That's the spirit. Heh heh…" The weak sound of her chuckle was followed by a sequence of coughs. It seemed that the woman wasn't as healthy as she looked. Or probably she looked healthier only because she was happy that Conrad was paying her a visit.

"…It's time to get some sleep." The brunet pulled the blanket up to her chin, ignoring her soft protests about wanting to chat a little longer with him. She only agreed to close her eyes after he made a promise to pay her another visit later.

After signaling all the people to exit the house quietly, Conrad turned his eyes to the old lady's blushing daughter, "I have to go now. Please take good care of your mother."

"Yes, Sir." The lady, not taking her sparkly eyes off the man, approached Conrad and held his hand again, "Please allow me to escort you to the front gate."

Conrad smiled and nodded.

Yuuri glared at the scene.

Murata really wished that he had had a camera with him at the time.

Waaaait a minute… He DID have one…

…A digital one for that matter…

XXX

Even after arriving at the next town, which was the 'Little Harajuku' he had visited the day before, Yuuri still looked sullen and didn't talk as much as he used to. Murata tried to cheer him up, but it didn't work. Every time Murata asked him what he was thinking about, Yuuri would always smile and shake his head, refusing to say anything about his feelings.

Murata had his own deductions, and the way Yuuri was looking at Conrad confirmed them. Although the problem was quite intriguing, Murata decided that it was not the right time to interfere.

Meanwhile, Conrad, having no idea that he was being stalked, was browsing the things in the antique shop. Since Yuuri seemed have lost interest in helping Conrad out, Murata was left with the job. It was really hard for him not to moan, since Conrad always showed interest to weird, peculiar things.

"Excuse me, Sir, the picture over there…" Conrad seemed to be interested in one of the pictures on the wall, and called for the owner of the shop. He soon realized that it was a mistake.

"Oh, good choice, mister! Such a nice sight! Spectacular!" The owner turned out to be another peculiar old man who was wearing a P.E. uniform. Fortunately, Yuuri was currently too occupied with his thoughts to notice it.

"You won't find this spectacular thing in another shop! The spectacular history of this magic urn started when the spectacular 11th Maou's mother's nephew's friend's grandfather married a spectacular carpenter. At the time, they were everyone's favorite couple. But unfortunately, one day…"

"Thanks for explaining it." Conrad quickly interrupted, knowing that the tale would take at least several hours to finish it. Besides, the owner seemed to be a type who liked to exaggerate his stories.

"The one I want to know about is the painting over there… it…"

"Oh! Another smart choice! Spectacular! The history of the painting started during the 5th Maou's generation. At the time…"

The dream fairy only watched in amusement as Conrad was once again trapped in the owner's labyrinth of words. If it wasn't a dream, he'd probably be dreaming of the word 'spectacular' that night.

"Come on, Shibuya. Stop sulking. Look at…" Murata turned to his side to find that the king wasn't standing there anymore.

Trying to keep his calm, Murata turned around and scanned his surroundings while hoping that his master was still close by. He let out an exasperated sigh as he realized that Yuuri had left the area.

"Shibuya! If you can hear me, please listen!" Murata shouted after making sure that Yuuri was the only one who could hear him, "You can't go too far away from me for too long! Remember about the consequences and your circumstance!"

There was no reply.

"Please get back here at once! Or…"

"Your 'illness' will return to you!"

XXX

As Yuuri returned to his senses, he had arrived in an area he had never seen before. Compared to the market area near the front gate, the place was a lot quieter. There were several small shops and restaurants, but there were only a small number of customers scattered in the area.

_How did I get this far? I have to get back to Murata now._

The king glanced at his surroundings and tried to recall the map of the town he had seen with Wolfram the day before. The only thing he could remember was the cute bunny symbol that had been attached on the side of the board. And the worst thing about being an invisible man… was that he could only rely on himself (or one of his kind).

Yuuri sighed quietly, deciding to let his intuition guide his way. After walking around for about half an hour, Yuuri realized that his hunch was just as bad as his memory. He couldn't even find the way to the main district yet, let alone the front gate. The town was like a huge maze. One wrong turn, and he'd come out in the middle of nowhere.

As the sudden exhaustion fell upon him, the king, half-dragging his legs, made his way to the nearest alleyway, only to escape the stinging ray of midday sun. As he reached the place, he crumpled down on the ground, resting his head on to the wall.

Strange… why am I feeling so tired? As if my strength is being drained up… 

His stomach grumbled, his throat felt dry, and his whole body felt cramped. Yuuri could only compare his current situation with the time when he had felt it for the first time in his room. It felt just as terrible.

_But why… Murata said that I wouldn't experience it again… as long as…_

"I have taken care of both of the problems. As long as I'm by your side, you'll not have to experience them again."

Yuuri held back an urge to punch the wall in frustration. How could he have forgotten that? Murata had warned him numerous times not to go far away from him for too long! Now that he had been separated from Murata for almost one hour, naturally, both 'problems' came back to him!

"Damn it!" Yuuri groaned, "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! What on earth have I done! I'm digging my own grave!" 

After hearing his own words, Yuuri quickly realized that the second problem was working inside his mind, creating the other personality, messing up with his true character.

I have to find Murata soon. Yuuri forced his legs to move. Despite being a bit wobbly, he finally managed to stand up. He wasn't sure if he could keep his stamina up for too long, so this time, he had to find the right way in one try. 

Enduring the stinging pain in his body, the king turned back to the main street and started walking.

XXX

Conrad knew that he was in deep trouble. Still holding onto the 'fantastic' bat and the 'magnificent' mitt in his hands, he had to stand there while trying to figure out how to make the old man in front of him stop talking about the history of the two things without causing too much damage.

"But he hit 30 spectacular home runs a few years before, and obviously all the people wanted to know; how could he have had such a huge upswing in home runs without cheating? It's not possible, so…"

…It seemed that before he realized it, the (one-sided) discussion about the history of the 'fantastic' bat and the 'magnificent' mitt had turned in to Today's _Spectacular_ Baseball News.

Conrad realized that if he didn't make any move to escape soon, the damage would be huge on his side.

"Excuse me, Mister. I want to…"

Conrad paused, and never finished his words.

The owner of the shop glanced at the gaping man in confusion.

"Sir? What's wrong?" He moved his hand around before Conrad's eyes, but the half-mazoku didn't even blink in response. He was looking through the old man, through the crowd, through the main street. His eyes were fixated on a certain alleyway, where stood a certain someone he would've recognized anywhere.

The shop owner could only gasp in astonishment as he realized that his most recent customer, along with his 'spectacular' items, had disappeared.

XXX

Yuuri paused his steps again, resting his body on to the wall, trying to catch his breath. Although it felt like he had walked for miles, actually he hadn't even reached the main street. Perhaps he had just walked for several steps from his resting place.

Every time he tried to make a movement, the pain would crash down on him and stop him. His legs had also become so shaky that he could hardly stand up.

_I have to find Murata._

Yuuri stubbornly kept dragging his feet, closing his eyes to reduce the pain. It didn't really work. He soon fell on his knees. But it didn't stop him from moving forward. He was determined. Even if he had to crawl, he'd find Murata and make the excruciating pain stop.

"Yuuri!"

Yuuri halted his movements and opened his eyes slowly. It sounded like Conrad's voice, but… he was supposed to be invisible, wasn't he?

He turned to his back and confirmed his suspicion. Conrad had spotted him, and was approaching him fast.

Although it intrigued him how something like that could have happened, Yuuri didn't intend to stay at his place to brainstorm. If he let Conrad get him, how would he explain about his half-dead condition? How would he explain how he had gotten there? How would he explain about everything? He'd cause a big, no, HUGE riot in the castle. The worst case… the storyline of the dream might get changed, or his identity as the owner of the dream might be revealed… which also meant abusing the two most important rules.

Thinking about it only encouraged Yuuri to crawl faster. He didn't want to get caught. He didn't want to make Conrad worried. He didn't want to abuse any rules. And most importantly…

I don't wanna die like this! 

Yuuri gasped as he felt a hand pulling him to his side. For a moment, he thought that Conrad had caught him and everything was over.

"You're safe now. Be quiet, close your eyes and start concentrating."

Yuuri knew that his lifespan was getting extended as he heard Murata's gentle whisper in his ear. The fairy's arms felt so warm around his dead-cold shoulders. He could only nod and comply with each instruction from the dream fairy. After a short while, he felt a lot calmer and healthier, although his muscles still felt numb and he couldn't move his legs yet. Murata suggested him to rest in place for a short while before going back to the castle to recuperate properly.

"But that was really close, don't you think?" Murata sighed in relief. "It's fortunate that I found you just in time."

Yuuri examined his surroundings. The place looked like an abandoned warehouse. It was dark, dusty and smelled old. But Yuuri decided that he could care less. He didn't even care about the colony of ants near his leg, or about the cockroaches that had been wandering around him.

After using some time to soothe his nerves down, Yuuri remembered about his previous problem. "Conrad… he saw me… where's he?"

"Don't worry. Since you suddenly disappeared before his eyes, he'll likely think that his eyes were playing tricks on him." The fairy laughed, "He's probably at the antique shop to recompense for the bat and the mitt he accidentally '_stole'_ when he was chasing after you. And I don't think he can escape the owner's lifelong lecture this time."

Yuuri didn't hold back his hilarity this time. The amusing story and the way Murata laughed so freely had somehow made him feel a lot better.

"In the end, I couldn't do anything for him at all," Yuuri sighed quietly, "Sorry that our trip was a waste, Murata."

Murata smiled in return, "Don't sweat it. I'm used to it already."

Yuuri laughed again.

"So many things happened all at once. Although I tried to convince myself that everything was going to be all right, I also couldn't help but think of the… many bad things that could happen to me too. At times like those, I can get really, really desperate." The young king said sheepishly, "I am thankful that I have someone to talk to about my problems. Without you, I might have gone insane. Thank you, Murata."

The fairy only smiled brightly in response. His holy ring was shining bright golden. We all could assume that it meant 'ultimate happiness'.

"I understand that you want to watch over Sir Conrad to make sure that he doesn't cheat on you, but we have to go home now, Shibuya."

Yuuri flushed and faked another dry laugh, "Who do you think I am? Wolfram? We're going home right now! Besides, I can hardly feel my legs at this moment!"

Murata was glad that he had been blessed with Murata Ken's tricky knowledge.

XXX

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

HEELS OVER HEAD 

Chapter Ten

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **ProudSnapist** a.k.a **Sherlockian Slytherin**

Alternate Universe. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

After resting in his bed for a few hours, Yuuri could feel that his body had almost fully recovered, but he was still worried about Conrad. He had heard Conrad and Gunter's conversation, and also Gwendal and Cheri's in the morning, but he couldn't have gotten the whole picture. There were still a lot of things he was curious about.

When Yuuri told Murata about his problem, the fairy, who had returned to his tiny form, suggest a brilliant cure for his anxiety.

"Keep this advice in mind, Shibuya. In whichever world or era it is…" Murata flashed him a playful smile, "…Female workers will always be the best source of information."

XXX

"Hopeless."

"Hostile."

"Horrendous."

Yuuri could only blink at the triple-'ho' comments given by the Red-Green-Blue maids when he asked them about how Conrad had carried his task out so far.

"…It's _that_ bad?"

"It most likely is." Chibi Murata chuckled merrily at Yuuri's bewildered expression.

"Oh, Your Majesty, don't tell me that you've forgotten about the first 'thing' he brought home a few months back," the red maid moaned, "Pochi is the most vicious animal I've ever seen! It's bloodcurdling! And it only listens to Cheri-sama!"

"But I personally think that the latest 'thing' he brought is the grossest one. That huge carnivore flower tried to catch and devour a soldier! So scary!" The green maid added.

"Wrong. The giant blue cheese is the most sickening one. I couldn't eat for three days in a row after looking and smelling it." The blue one shivered at the memory, "Well, it also helped me lose weight, but still…"

Yuuri grimaced.

He turned to the small fairy beside him and saw him outright laughing. No wonder Gwendal had been so worried about Conrad's reputation.

The three maids seemed to sense Yuuri's anxiousness and tried to cheer him up.

"But I don't think you have to be concerned this time, Your Majesty." The green maid encouraged, "I heard from Sir Yozak that Sir Conrad had specially gone to Ulrike-sama last night to ask for her advice. I'm sure that she can assist him in finding a better thing. After all, it's his fifth time. There's no way he'll fail again."

"Right. I don't think Sir Conrad will fail again this time. Since Sir Gunter has threatened him with something like that…" The red maid smiled sheepishly, "Oh! I can't believe I'm saying this to His Majesty!"

"What do you think will happen if he fails again today?" Yuuri asked in curiosity.

"_Mou_! You shouldn't have said that to His Majesty! How are we supposed to explain about it now?" The blue maid scolded her friend, looking just as embarrassed.

"Haven't you been notified about it, Your Majesty?" The green one asked with a naughty glint on her face. Yuuri did feel a bit wary at the way those maids were looking at him. He almost thought of taking the question back.

"Su… sure. Gunter has notified me, but…"

"Don't worry. He's not going to blame you for your decision." Those maids persuaded him, "Sir Conrad loves you so much. Just tell him that you'll do your best and go with all your might, Your Majesty!"

The statement had somehow sent chills down Yuuri's spine. Although it was a bit out-of-character for him, the king decided to withdraw and revert to another topic.

"By the way, have you thrown away the carnivore flower? I've never seen it here before, so…"

XXX

In the beginning, the maids had strongly disagreed to bring Yuuri to the dangerous plant. But as usual, it never took Yuuri too long to convince people to do what he wanted. They finally agreed to take Yuuri to the place, but they begged Yuuri to be extremely careful and not to get too close.

Yuuri lightly accepted the agreement, but he secretly thought that it would be a huge waste not to see those rare things properly at such an opportune moment. Chibi Murata, seeming to read Yuuri's expression, transformed in to big Murata to make sure that he could protect him when it was needed.

After that, Yuuri was taken to the basement, where they placed all the things Conrad had brought (except they had thrown away the giant blue cheese for sanitary reasons).

To get to the room where they kept all the 'treasures', Yuuri had to go through a tunnel. Yuuri had to admit that the passageway looked spooky, but with those terrified ladies behind him, he couldn't possibly withdraw. Besides, since the guards were showing no signs of trying to protect him, he could only assume that he was safe.

"It's so dark…" He muttered as he stepped inside. A guard responded to his complaint by sending two guards to hold the torches in front of them.

"Please be careful with your steps, Your Majesty. We'll guide you to the place." Stated one of the guards.

Yuuri nodded. Somehow, he had a bad feeling about this…

XXX

After walking through the dark passageway for several minutes, they finally arrived at a big and empty room. It was relatively brighter than the entrance room, but its sky-scraping ceiling was a bit disturbing. It was even higher than the main hall's ceilings. The room itself connected to several different rooms. Several guards guarded three of the rooms. Yuuri assumed that the three rooms were where they had placed each item.

"What do you want to see first, Your Majesty?" The red maid asked him, "The first room is…"

"Stop! No! Don't tell me! Let me pick randomly!" The king looked quite thrilled about it. Murata only smiled in amusement, thinking how similar Yuuri and his fiancé truly were. They were both easily fascinated by weird things. Perhaps it was one of the reasons why Conrad had brought these weird items home as a wedding symbol.

"Umm… that room!" The king decided after contemplating for a while. He picked the farthest room from the entrance.

"Open the mayo room," commanded the head of the guards.

Yuuri impatiently waited in front of the so-called 'mayo room'. Murata could already guess what's inside, even before he used his eyesight power to see through the door.

As Murata had expected, there was a huge, about twenty feet-tall mayonnaise maker placed in the middle of the room. It looked exactly like a normal mayonnaise maker. Its size was the only thing that was peculiar about it.

"Whoa! How are we supposed to use this monster!" The king gasped, not realizing that a real monster was actually not so far away from him at the moment.

"No, we're not going to use it. Anissina-sama insisted that we keep it for her new invention." The guard explained to him.

"And how did Conrad carry this thing home anyway?" Yuuri asked again.

"He divided the machine in to small parts, then he asked each soldier to carry one part. After we collected all the parts here, the machine was rebuilt and…"

Yuuri imagined a huge squad of soldiers, lining up, each with a part of the mayo-maker instead of a sword.

"…Next room."

XXX

Yuuri could hear the faint sound of a suppressed roar from inside the room, just by standing in front of the door. The maids had refused to go in with him, looking really terrified. It made Yuuri feel a bit wary, but his curiosity won over his fear. He wanted to know what was inside the room.

He turned his head to Murata. He could tell that the fairy definitely knew what was inside. Yuuri tried to read Murata's expression, but as usual, the fairy, just like the real Murata Ken, was incredibly hard to read. He was keeping his usual smile, and didn't show any signs of fear or excitement. It was always easier to look at his holy ring and try to guess what was the meaning of its shade. This time, it was the color Yuuri had never seen before: a blinking dark red. Since red was a sign of anger, could it be a sign of danger?

But Yuuri didn't exactly have enough time to think. It would be less complicated to just enter the room and see it.

The fact that puddles of water were scattered around the floor was the first thing that passed Yuuri's mind as he stepped inside. The answer was just a few feet away from him. Just as he made another step ahead…

SPLASH!

The guards weren't quick enough to save Yuuri from another downpour from above.

Yuuri was temporarily paralyzed by the huge aquarium in front of him and the smirking monster inside of it, when Cheri suddenly entered the room and quickly approached him.

"Pochi! How could you do that to His Majesty! You'd better be prepared for a punishment!" The ex-Maou scolded the animal, still embracing the immobile young king tightly.

The interesting actuality was that the spine-chilling monster was actually listening to her. It even wiggled its tail for its beautiful mistress, causing more water to spill out of the aquarium.

"Oh, Your Majesty, please forgive Pochi. Maybe he's just shy…"

Yuuri had never seen such an animal in his life before. Just like its name, 'sea-bear', the ten-foot monster looked like a mermaid-bear; a bear with a fish tail replacing the half bottom-part of its body. Actually, the tail looked a bit too small for its chubby upper body.

The same question from the previous room reappeared in his mind. How had Conrad managed to catch and carry this home, anyway?

"You can't compare dreams with reality," Murata answered his mental question, "Nothing is impossible here. Even if you try to ask, you'll definitely not get a logical answer."

Yuuri nodded and sighed. Right. It was a dream. How could he have forgotten about that anyway?

_Because it feels too real…_ He answered himself, looking down at his drenched clothes. He probably needed to replace his underwear too.

…_This is a bit too wet for a dream…_

Yuuri sneezed.

"Oh, no! His Majesty caught a cold!" Cheri quickly ordered the guard to get a towel for him, "Bad Pochi! I'm going to feed you coffee beans for three days in a row!"

Yuuri sneezed again, three times.

XXX

After taking a bath and getting some medicine from Gisela, Yuuri was once more sent to his bed and was being treated like a baby. Lunch and supper were delivered to his room. Gunter, Gwendal, Cheri, Wolfram, and Anissina came to visit him at least once each.

Gunter's visit mainly consisted of sobs, moans, and hugs. Gwendal was acting as stiff as usual. He warned Yuuri to take better care of himself, and also reminded him of his responsibility as a king. Cheri's visit was considerably shorter than Yuuri had expected. She only stopped by to deliver supper and tell Yuuri that she had punished Pochi for causing the ruckus. Anissina, unlike usual, didn't bring any of her new inventions. Instead, she brought several of her bestseller novels and suggested Yuuri read them to kill the time in bed. Yuuri was slightly intrigued when he read the synopsis, but as he flipped to the cover page and saw the picture of Gunter and Gwendal in a compromising position, he immediately placed the book back at its place.

So far, Wolfram, the one who was assigned to keep him company almost all the time, made the nicest companion. He even ate lunch with him in his room, and talked about a lot of random interesting things to keep him entertained.

"Do you still keep the dolls?" Wolfram asked in the middle of their conversation.

"Yeah, sure. I keep them… somewhere in this room." Yuuri couldn't possibly admit that he had completely forgotten about the dolls. He turned to Murata for an explanation, but the fairy avoided his eyes, whistling innocently.

"Good. You'd better keep them properly. You have no idea how difficult it was to get them." The blond was still smiling, but he sounded somehow threatening, "I was very sleepy when you bombarded me with your questions this morning. But if you need to know how to operate the dolls better, I can explain it to you now."

The young king cringed, "No, thanks. I like silent dolls."

"By the way, you just got knocked down by Pochi, right? I can never understand why mother insisted to keep that horrible monster here…" Wolfram said with an exasperated tone, "Brother too. He shouldn't have brought it here in the first place. It's causing too much trouble for us, and now it even attacked you…"

Yuuri remained silent. Murata noticed his change of attitude right away.

"The mayo-maker is not that much of a trouble, but the carnivore flower is!" Wolfram resumed, "It attacked one soldier from my squad just a few minutes after it came here! Can you imagine that? It picked him up by his belt and kept him hanging up there until he stopped struggling, and then it tossed him into the air and prepared to seize him with its big mouth…"

"Did he make it?" Yuuri asked nervously.

"Of course he did. After all, _I_ am his squad leader. I wouldn't let that fiend hurt my man." The blond looked proud, "My strategy worked well. We learned its method to eat its prey from Gisela-san, then we decided to let it toss him into the air before…"

Suddenly, a knock was heard. Even before the messenger entered the room and said a word, Wolfram seemed to know that it would be from Gwendal, asking for his presence rightaway.

"I'll be back in a moment," Wolfram excused himself, "Are you okay by yourself?"

Yuuri nodded. It was different than his first morning.

"Then, I'm off. Wait for me, wimp." Wolfram threw him a smile before turning around and walking out of the room.

Although Yuuri had expected the sudden silence after his disappearance, he couldn't help feeling a bit lonely. It was bad. He had been used to Wolfram's company all the time in the real world.

"Hey, Murata," he called after a moment of silence. He had been waiting for the fairy to talk. "Are you still there?"

"Yes." Chibi Murata suddenly appeared right in front of his nose, smiling. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"…How to say this…" Yuuri looked hesitant.

"You know, you're basically my master. You can ask me to do almost anything, as long as it doesn't break the rules." Murata tried to convince him to speak his mind, spinning his magic wand and creating an artificial cloudy sky above his head. It wasn't the first time Yuuri had seen Murata's sky, but it was still as captivating as the first time he had seen it. The situation of the sky varied every time. One time, it was a beautiful sunset, the other time it was a sunny one, and sometimes it was rainy or snowy. Anyhow, Murata's handmade skies always looked beautiful to Yuuri. When Yuuri had asked him why and how he had made it, Murata had told him that it had just been something he had always done when he had been bored.

As Murata poof-ed the artificial sky away, Yuuri took one deep breath, looking convinced already, "…I want you… to leave me and follow Conrad and make sure that he's doing okay."

The fairy looked puzzled, "…You know the consequences, don't you? I can't leave you for too long."

"Sure, I do. I've experienced it twice and it was terrible. But I can't let Conrad fail again this time." The king remarked steadfastly, "It's almost dinnertime. Conrad should be home in a few hours. I'll be okay if I stay in bed."

Murata's expression didn't change. He just looked straight into Yuuri's eyes, making sure that he really meant his words.

"…Okay. I'll be back as soon as possible." He finally said as he transformed back in to big traveler Murata, "While you still have the energy, get everything you need and put it close to you. Don't forget your mug and the medicine. Place some pillows under your feet; it'll make you feel better. And the blanket…"

"I understand! I understand! Just leave!" Yuuri laughed, "I'm big enough to take care of myself!"

Murata flashed him a smile, "You'd better be."

With those words, Murata disappeared in to thin air.

"Don't worry," although his form could no longer be seen, Yuuri could still hear his voice, "I'll make sure that he brings something nice for you."

Yuuri smiled in relief.

XXX

The real torture for Yuuri was probably lying in his bed with a growing ache in his body and without being able to sleep or having someone to talk to. While anxiously waiting for Wolfram (who had said that he would have returned _soon_, but hadn't shown any signs of coming back), Yuuri tried to distract himself from falling asleep by looking around his room, counting the number of people who had been passing by the garden, and even playing jankenpon with both of his hands. None of them seemed to work. He was still feeling bored.

"I'm getting out of this," Yuuri muttered to himself as he slowly climbed down the bed, ignoring the slight numbness he had started to feel in both of his feet.

XXX

"Eh? What are you doing here, Your Majesty?"

Yuuri silently regretted that he had taken the left path instead of the right on. If only he had taken the opposite path, he might not have met Gisela, who would surely push him back to his room, by force if needed.

"Err… I was… feeling better… so… I want to look around for fresh air, you know, it's needed for better health and circulation…"

Gisela's face softened at his explanation. Yuuri was glad for that. It seemed that she was not going to do the thing he feared.

"It's okay. But you have to return to your bedroom when you feel tired." She remarked with a smile, "If your condition gets worse after this, I'll…"

Yuuri gulped as he noticed that the pen Gisela had been holding was cracking.

"…I'll… treat you more carefully." The girl continued, still smiling, "Well then, excuse me. I'll come back in the evening to check on your temperature."

Yuuri made sure that the doctor had really gone before resuming his steps. They were getting shorter and shorter along with the increasing numbness lingering in his limbs. The time when he had been crawling to avoid Conrad was an unpleasant memory, and he didn't intend to repeat the event. He just wanted to find someone whom he could talk to and return to his room with.

Yuuri held back a girlie gasp as he felt a pair of hands covering up his eyes.

"What… who is it?"

"Guess." A feminine voice replied from behind him. Yuuri didn't even need his eyes to determine his answer.

"Okay Yozak, things like that don't apply twice." Yuuri laughed as the man finally released him. "Do you always have to do that every time we meet?"

"I can't remember the last time we met, Your Majesty, since you've been spending your time in bed a lot lately." Yozak replied with his usual casual tone, placing both hands on his hips, smiling playfully. He was probably one of the few people in the castle who didn't treat him like some divine thing. Yuuri liked his presence for that reason.

"Sorry for that, but I'm really not feeling well lately." Yuuri was unsure if he was telling the truth or not, but even if it was considered a lie, it was a white one.

"I suppose that you're walking around to soothe your nerves down while waiting for your beloved Sir Weller Conrad?" Yozak winked at him, and smiled victoriously at his flushing cheeks, "I knew it. I understand that you're anxious. After all, that fool has made you wait for so long…"

Yuuri assumed that Yozak was referring to marriage. "I don't mind waiting." He quickly remarked, "I'm just concerned about the consequences he would have to bear if he fails again this time…"

The wide, altered smirk in Yozak's face really did cause Yuuri a shiver. What could that man be thinking about? Had he said something wrong?

"Be tough! You're a man too! Don't you think that it's a good chance? Show him a good time and maybe it'll be a constant arrangement!" The redhead's encouragement didn't really sound sincere, and it gave Yuuri the same feeling as what the maids had said before. Major shiver.

As he felt a sting of pain in his head, Yuuri realized that he didn't have that much time. He had to return to his room soon, or he'd be ended up either crawling or being carried 'bridal-style' by Yozak.

"Are you free of duty now?" he asked hopefully.

"No. As usual, that oh-so-protective Sir Weller of yours liberated me from other important tasks and asked me to look after you." Yozak crossed his arms, still smiling over his previous amusement.

"Can you keep me company in my room? I mean, not in that way, but… I'm bored, I'm ill, I have to stay in bed, but I have nobody to talk to."

Yozak stopped smiling and glanced at him cautiously, making Yuuri feel a bit nervous.

"No problem. After all, I'm assigned to keep you company when you want me to." He finally replied, his smile returned, "But if you don't mind, please give me a second. Return to your bedroom now. I'll catch up soon."

Yuuri nodded.

XXX

After waiting for several minutes, Yozak finally came as he promised. He came to Yuuri's room, holding a plate of some mysterious food in his hand.

"Look what I've brought for you!" the redhead cheerfully approached the bewildered king and placed the plate on his lap. "Give it a taste. I'm not sure if you've ever eaten it, but I'm sure that you'll like it."

Yuuri nodded and looked down at the food. The slices of fruit resembled apples, but it didn't exactly look like it either. It looked softer and more reddish. It also looked sweet. Yuuri didn't waste more time contemplating. He just used his fork to pick up a slice and throw it in to his mouth.

"Sweet!" He commented delightfully, still munching on his first slice, "And very soft!"

"Told you, you'd like it!" Yozak looked satisfied with his reaction, "Sir Weller and I used to have this fruit when we caught a cold back when we were small. It's sweet and soft, besides, it gives you the energy to recuperate."

"I see," Yuuri smiled and picked up another slice, "It's indeed delicious. Thank you very much, Yozak."

For a moment, Yozak looked like his mind was up in some clouds, staring at the king with an astonished look.

"Is something wrong?" Yuuri asked, still holding onto his fork, "You've been staring at me with that strange look… somehow it makes me feel uncomfortable. When you're wearing men's clothes, I would appreciate it if you would try to keep you feminine side from acting out."

The redheaded soldier recovered from his catatonic state soon, before bursting out laughing. It was Yuuri's turn to look at him in bewilderment.

"Is something wrong with my words?"

"Oh, I can't stand this anymore!" Yozak replied in between his laughter, "Stop imitating Sir Weller! It doesn't suit you at all!"

"What do you…?" Yuuri felt a sudden thump in his chest. He? Imitating Conrad? But how? He didn't feel it at all.

"That speech…" Yozak explained after regaining his composure, "And that stance… the way you ate… I can certainly say that you can imitate him better than anybody else! You even said the same thing he always says to me! 'When you're wearing men's clothes, I would appreciate it if you would try to keep your feminine side from acting out', that's what he always says to me whenever I wink at him!"

Yuuri smiled in amusement. Conrad most likely was the one who suffered with Yozak's feminine side a lot. He really wanted to see what kind of scene those two must make. It had to be hilarious.

………

……………

Shouldn't be he cringing at this moment? He had smiled long enough that his face hurt. Why couldn't he stop? And why would he want to see Yozak winking at Conrad?

"Okay, okay, let's not get carried away with the joke. Now," Yozak helped Yuuri to remove the plate from his lap, "tell me, how do you do that? Did Sir Weller teach you? What a kinky couple you are…"

Yuuri knew that he should say something to stop Yozak's pervy imagination, but no words came out from his mouth, and the smile wouldn't come off. What was happening with him?

"No, the relationship between Conrad and I is not like what you think. Don't say something like that about Conrad."

Yozak laughed even more, "Oh yes, Sir Weller said something like that about you numerous times to me; with the same tone too! Keep up the good job, Your Majesty!"

Yuuri could feel the panic growing in his chest, but he suddenly lost his capability to express it. He couldn't take off the calm face and the steady tone kept flooding out of his mouth. He had no control of his facial muscles anymore!

Then a thought struck Yuuri. Murata had left him for almost an hour. If his deduction was true, that he was being influenced with his mental illness, it meant that he was not being himself!

"Yozak, please listen to me and stop laughing. This is serious." Yuuri was glad that he could finally stop smiling, "I know I don't look like myself at this moment, but it's out of my control. It doesn't feel very funny to me, so if you keep laughing, it will seriously offend me."

Yozak's expression made Yuuri feel like he had shown the redhead a very frightening face. He regretted it, but like what he had said, it was out of his control.

"Actually, I have something to ask you. Will you promise me to answer each question honestly?"

Yozak nodded, still seeming bewildered.

"From what I've heard from the people in this castle, it sounds like Conrad has bothered so many people. I've also heard many complaints regarding the things he has brought home. It concerns me if Conrad has really lost his reputation among the people. Can you honestly tell me how you feel about this?"

Yozak was quite curious at Yuuri's sudden change of attitude, but the young king's eyes signaled him to comply without unnecessary comments. They looked a lot like Conrad's eyes when he was annoyed at him.

"…Sir Weller hasn't lost a single bit of his good reputation." Yozak replied, "Well, people were laughing at him for his failure, but it's in good humor. They also encourage him to do better on his next trip."

Yuuri could feel sudden warmth flowing into his chest. It appeared that he had finally spoken the exact thing that he had been worried about all this time. He could feel his lips curving up at the remark.

"I see… I've been so worried."

"Yeah, and I was so freaked out. I thought you transformed in to the Maou again." Yozak looked relieved too. "I was wondering what was the 'serious' thing going to be , but you just wanted to ask me about that?"

"Sorry for giving you the creeps. I hadn't intended to." The words just came out of his mouth. Yuuri realized the change in his behavior, but the news about Conrad had calmed him down so he decided to ignore the problem for the moment. Besides, this new personality was better than its two predecessors. It was not girlie, or harsh. It was calm, steady, polite, a set mind that could handle any problem cool-headedly. Perhaps it was the personality Yuuri had secretly adored and admired.

Could it be… 

The mirth of the thought made Yuuri feel so warm inside.

XXX

Murata was mostly surprised to find Yuuri with Anissina's novel when he got home. The young king looked so occupied with the story that he hadn't noticed his presence yet.

Smiling in amusement, the fairy slowly approached the bed and took a glance at the title of the novel: MISTRESS CHERRY. The cover page was a picture of Cheri, wearing a mask, posing with a whip and a melting candle in her other hand. Murata couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"Oh, you're here." Yuuri immediately spotted him and put down the novel.

"Is that interesting?" Murata asked, smiling playfully, "I thought you refused to read any of the novels."

"Well, apart from the cover page, it's quite well-written." Yuuri replied calmly, "And don't be tricked by its title. It's actually the story of a heroine named Cherry who protects the town with her magical power. The 'super whip' and 'healing candle' are her main weapons. But there're also 'wonderful cuffs', a 'holy gag' and 'high-heels of justice'."

"Sounds interesting." Murata laughed.

"You're late. It's past dinnertime. How's Conrad doing?" Yuuri asked, signaling the fairy to sit next to him on the bed.

"I have two types of news. Do you want to hear the good, or the bad one first?"

Yuuri made a thinking face, "Umm… the good one."

"Okay," Murata started, "The good one, I have made sure that he brought home something nice."

Yuuri's face beamed, "That's good! What about the bad one?"

"The bad one… he hasn't had any chance to look for the thing at all, since the owner of the antique shop was confining him to his workshop. He has just been released a short while ago."

The young king could only blink in bafflement at the news.

"Wait a minute… I don't get it at all… he didn't get a chance to look for it, but he actually is coming home with something nice?"

Murata nodded, smiling mysteriously, "But I won't explain more to you. You'll have to hear it from his own mouth. So let's just wait for him."

Yuuri had never felt so curious in his life, but he knew that once Murata had said something, he would never take his statement back. It was the best decision to comply with him.

"By the way, I have good news." Yuuri suddenly remembered about what he wanted to say to Murata, "Guess whose personality I suffered this time?"

Murata looked clueless.

"It was Conrad." Yuuri's eyes glinted in happiness, "I'm sure that it was him! I could feel it in my mind! It was Conrad! He's still alive, and he might still be waiting for me right now! Can you believe it?"

The fairy's smile bloomed. It was the first time he saw such a bright face on the king during his time in this world.

"I knew it. He's still alive… Sir Conrad…"

Yuuri was even happier to see the delight on the fairy's face, and the silver glow of his holy ring. He knew that Murata had lied to him before when he had said that Conrad had still been alive, but it didn't matter anymore to him. He had made sure that Conrad was still alive. It made him want to get home as soon as possible. He wanted to see that smile once more, in real life.

Smiling merrily, Yuuri slowly climbed down his bed. The pain was still there, but he barely felt it. He was too happy to think about anything else.

"Let's wait for Conrad outside. Now I can't wait to see what he has brought for me."

XXX

After having a short argument with the guards, Yuuri finally managed to make them replace one of the guards watching over the front gate. The replaced guard didn't seem very thankful, though, since he knew that Gunter was going to reprimand him for it later. But he really had no choice, since the king he idolized had clapped his hands in front of him and begged with sincere eyes.

"Lend me your hat and your coat too, so I'll look more like a guard." Yuuri said, still with his ultimate puppy-eyes, "Please?"

In the end, aside from a new guard uniform set obtained by the blushing guard, Yuuri had also gotten himself another loyal devotee.

"It suits you," Murata commented as Yuuri put the clothes on, "makes you look a bit manlier."

"I _am_ a man." Yuuri replied with a grin, showing no sign of being offended at all. He was sure that Conrad would be really surprised to find him waiting for him at the gate with this uniform. The thought alone could make him smile.

As Yuuri stepped to the front gate, every guard looked nervous and bowed their heads down to their king. As Yuuri looked up, he saw that a special space had been reserved for him, with a cushioned seat and a small table next to it.

Yuuri looked bewildered.

"Umm… I appreciate your consideration by setting up the space for me… but… uh… you see, I want to be treated like a common guard." Yuuri tried to explain, but the guards didn't seem to get him. Perhaps they were all too nervous that the king they usually saw from faraway had suddenly come right before their eyes, and had even asked them to treat him like a common guard.

"I'm afraid that it won't do, Your Majesty." The head of the guards stepped forward, "We can't possibly do that to you. We'll let you wait here with us, but please, accept our special treatment."

Yuuri sighed. At this point, he couldn't possibly resist. He also knew the difficulties of their situation. Forcing them to obey him would have been very selfish of him.

"Yooooooouuuuuuuuur Maaaaaaaaaaaajeeeeeeeeeestyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

The young king gulped at the familiar voice. As he turned around, he realized that his bad feeling had come true. Gunter was running towards him, looking really infuriated.

"Oh! Your Majesty! What are you doing in this place? Why are you dressing up like that? Please get back inside at once!" The silver-haired mazoku turned to the horrified guards angrily, "How could you all let His Majesty do something like this! You're supposed to protect him!"

"Err… listen, Gunter… it's not their fault. If you want to blame someone, you can blame me." Yuuri explained, "I came here and wore this uniform willingly. I intend to wait and surprise Conrad here."

Gunter's face softened, "But it's dangerous to stay here, Your Majesty. It's late. You can wait for him inside."

"No, thanks. I'll wait for him here. I want to surprise him with this uniform." Yuuri smiled, looking determined, "I'll be okay. I promise."

The broken look on Gunter's face made Yuuri feel a bit guilty. But it wasn't strong enough to make him change his mind.

"…All right… if you insist, Your Majesty… you can stay here." It seemed that Gunter had made up his mind, "But please let me keep you company and protect you here."

"Okay," Yuuri replied lightly, ignoring Murata's amused look at his decision, "But you'll distract him. How about changing in to a uniform too?"

XXX

A moment later, Gunter was ready with his own uniform. Yuuri had to admit that he looked quite cool with it. Although he had been complaining a lot about the texture of the uniform, Gunter looked satisfied that he had been allowed to stay by his king's side.

Not long after Gunter had joined, another person came out of the castle, looking just as annoyed.

"Wimp! I've heard it from the maids! What do you think you're doing here! You're supposed to be waiting for me in your room!" Wolfram's yell could already be heard even though he was still many feet away from them.

"Sorry, Wolfram." Yuuri smiled at him apologetically, "I want to wait for Conrad here and make sure that he's brought the right thing."

Wolfram scowled, "Then you should have told me about that. I'm staying here with you."

Yuuri only threw him a playful smile as he gave a signal to the guard to get him another uniform.

XXX

Cheri followed right after Wolfram. As she saw Yuuri, Wolfram and Gunter in uniform, she excitedly said that she wanted to try on the 'cute' uniform and play as a guard too. She joined the group.

Not long after Cheri's appearance, Gwendal also came out of the castle. It seemed that he had heard about the ruckus the group had caused, and he came to tell them all to return inside. But after being persuaded by his mother and Yuuri, he finally decided to let them stay and waited there with them. It seemed that he was also anxious about the next thing that Conrad would be bringing home. He had refused to wear the uniform at first, but in the end, Cheri had managed to put it on him.

Soon, Gisela and Anissina also showed up. Gisela spent a few minutes checking on Yuuri's temperature before leaving, but Anissina decided to stay and to also wear a uniform.

"It'd be good if he brings home another machine." She commented when Yuuri asked her what the reason for her stay was.

"I'm just hoping that he uses his head this time and brings something decent." Gwendal snorted.

"Oh Shin Maou, please brighten his mind!" Gunter started another prayer.

"You must be very nervous, right, wimp?" Wolfram smirked.

"Ooh, he'll definitely be very surprised to find us here! He'll feel so loved!" Cheri looked the most excited of all.

Yuuri glanced at his 'family' warmly, and was silently thankful that he had been blessed with such affectionate companions. Although he was far away from home, they could always make him feel as though he _was_ home.

"It's not so bad to be here, is it?" Murata whispered to him, smiling meaningfully.

Yuuri returned his smile and nodded.

"…What are you all doing here?"

All the nobles immediately stopped talking as the familiar voice rang in their ears.

Yuuri looked up and beamed.

Conrad had returned.

XXX

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

HEELS OVER HEAD 

Chapter Eleven

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **ProudSnapist** a.k.a **Sherlockian Slytherin**

Alternate Universe. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

**Warnings for this chapter:**

**Number one**: when you see this '-**censored**-' word, it means that you can interpret it in to any pervy word that comes to your mind.

**Number two**: I'm not going to explain about '_seme'_ and '_uke'_. Since you're here to read a _shounen ai_ fic, I assume that you know what you're dealing with.

XXX

Conrad took one deep, deep breath. His throat felt dry, and his body was a bit cramped from all the things he had done throughout this whole day. His bedroom sounded like a nice option, but he went to the main hall instead. He knew that his comrades wouldn't wait for him to clean up, or at least replace his clothes. After all, they had specially waited for him at the front gate. This showed him how curious they were… and how mad they would become after hearing his explanations.

"I suppose…" Conrad started, glancing at the inquisitive people who had been waiting impatiently in front of him. Although the people in front of him were all his close friends, he couldn't help but feel as though he was being put on trial. "…You want to see the thing I brought now…"

Nobody answered him, which meant 'yes'.

"To tell you the truth…" The half-mazoku started. The guilty expression on his face made Yuuri feel a bit nervous. "I… was sort of caught up in something, and I couldn't go anywhere to search."

All the people gaped, looking fairly disappointed. Except for Cheri who looked suspiciously happy for her own son's failure.

"I'm sorry. I've failed again, and I'm ready for all the consequences." Conrad bowed deeply, "I'm so sorry… Your Majesty."

Yuuri could hear everybody's sigh. Conrad had failed again, and he wouldn't be able to avoid punishment this time. It was the thing that disappointed him the most.

"Tell him to open his bag."

The young king turned to his side and saw Murata. He remembered about what Murata had told him earlier. He had made sure that Conrad had brought something nice. It had to be it. But why wouldn't Conrad show it to them? Didn't he know the value of the thing? Gunter looked like he was preparing his speech to settle Conrad's fate. Yuuri knew that he had no time to be brainstorming. His next move would determine everything.

"Open your bag."

Yuuri was surprised at his own commanding tone. The others immediately turned their eyes to him, looking both puzzled and astonished. As for Cheri, she looked deviously delighted, but made no complaints.

"I mean… I am sure you've brought something. Just show it to us." Yuuri corrected. He never intended to sound so domineering.

Conrad nodded and did as he had been told. He slowly took out each thing in the bag. Conrad placed each property on the table, an empty bottle, a small jar, a town map, a ragged notebook, and two boxes.

"Those boxes," Murata whispered, "Ask him to open the smaller one first."

"Open the smaller one first." Yuuri heard his own voice and realized that Murata was the cause of the commanding tone, not him.

Conrad complied. It turned out to be the wild flowers he had obtained during the beginning of his trip. He had placed them in the box to make sure that they wouldn't get crushed amongst the mess of his bag.

"Ooh! Beautiful!" Cheri, who always liked beautiful things, commented, "Is that the symbol?"

Conrad looked too confused to answer. He kept staring at the young king, silently demanding an explanation. Unfortunately, Yuuri was too occupied with Murata's explanations to notice it.

"The bigger bag. Open it and show it to us." Yuuri instinctively repeated Murata's command again.

A worn out bat and a mitt had been placed on the table, next to the wildflowers. Yuuri, like the others couldn't see the 'nice thing' yet. The wildflowers were indeed pretty. Now that Yuuri had the chance to look closely, he realized that the color of the flowers was not lavender. It was blue, ocean blue. The flowers somehow resembled something like orchids except smaller. Although they had been stuck inside the bag for the whole day, they still looked fresh as if they had just been plucked. But still, for a symbol, they didn't seem special enough.

"Now is the time for the star to take the stage…" Murata smiled widely as he pointed his magic wand to the bigger box, "Ask him to open the bigger box."

Yuuri did as he had been told. He was so curious about what was inside the big box.

Conrad also looked hesitant to open it. But since it was a direct command from his king, he had no choice but to comply. Taking one deep breath, the half-mazoku opened the box.

At first glance, Yuuri knew that the thing everybody saw at the time would become the legendary wedding symbol.

Inside the box, there was another glass box with the same size. Inside the glass box was the most beautiful crystal vase Yuuri had ever seen. It was small, and its shape was a bit cropped, but it emitted rainbow-colored glows that captivated anyone who saw it. To protect the vase from crashes or harsh impact, the glass box was filled with some mysterious blue liquid that could make it stay in its place without being disrupted by gravitation, which only made the glows looked even more spellbinding.

"…Wonderful…" Wolfram's soft mutter snapped the people out of their thoughts. "I've never seen anything like this before…"

"And you said that you didn't search?" Even Anissina, the machine freak, looked quite impressed.

"Ooh, I'd like that for my next wedding!" Cheri squealed happily, "You're truly my son!"

"I'm so proud of you!" Gunter remarked in joy.

"Where did you get this?" Gwendal asked.

Conrad didn't seem to expect the dramatic change. From being a guy who had just experienced his fifth failure, he suddenly became everyone's hero. Yuuri seemed to adore the vase too. That made him the happiest.

"Well… it's actually handmade. I spent the whole afternoon creating it." He started his explanation. Everyone gaped at his remark. For Shin Maou's sake, how could someone who has done nothing but wield a sword for his entire life create such a wonderful masterpiece in one day?

"You see, I'm not really good at this, so its shape isn't good…" Conrad pointed out several cropped spots sheepishly, "This side, and this side…"

"But wait, Brother. How did you end up making something like this instead of doing the search?" Wolfram asked. Hearing Wolfram call Conrad 'Brother' so politely made Yuuri feel strange. In the real world, he would have bitten his own tongue if he had let that magic word out.

"The owner of the antique shop punished me for running away with his items." Conrad gestured the people to look at the bat and the mitt on the table, "It was a misunderstanding."

Yuuri remembered the time when Conrad had been chasing after him in the town. It was probably the main root of his whole problem with the talkative shop-owner.

"I offered him money for compensation, but he refused since the items were precious to him and could not be easily replaced by money. He even called me… names, saying that I couldn't appreciate antiques…" Recalling the moment alone made Conrad sigh.

"It's just a trick to gain more money from you." Gwendal commented, frowning.

"No, in the end, he didn't ask me to pay both items. He just wanted me to become his assistant for one day in his workshop." the half-mazoku continued, "I told him that I could not do that, but he insisted on teaching me. So I went along with him and learned how to make this."

Yuuri smiled at the story. Sometimes, misfortunes could lead us to even bigger fortunes. He was beginning to believe it.

"As you see, I'm not very talented, so it took me hours to finish one. Since it didn't look as good as his, he told me to bring it home. He also gave me the bat and the mitt as a gift." Conrad finished his story, "I never thought of it as a wedding symbol." (Yea, sure. You're thinking of another sea monster or some huge industrial machine, huh? That's just so romantic, Conrad-kun XD XD)

"So, that's how…" Cheri stepped forward to touch the glass box, adoring its beauty once more. "Then, I guess it can become a wonderful wedding symbol. It's just as beautiful as His Majesty, don't you all agree?"

Yuuri didn't really agree with the second line, but nodded anyway. He was just glad that Conrad could finally fulfill his task and avoid the punishment.

"Then, it's decided." Gunter smiled, "Sir Weller Conrad… You've passed."

Yuuri was mostly surprised, and partly confused as suddenly all the people in the room clapped their hands noisily. Not wanting to look different, he immediately followed them and clapped his hands too, not realizing that they were actually clapping for both him and Conrad.

"Isn't it great, Yuuri?" Wolfram shook his hand, looking sincerely happy and excited, "Finally you two have come to it! It sure feels like forever!" (Yea! It sure does!)

"Huh? What do you…"

Yuuri still looked dumbfounded as Gwendal replaced Wolfram.

"The wedding date will be confirmed soon. Rest assured."

The young king gaped, finding no right words to reply. Wedding date? They're going to be married soon? How was he supposed to be rest assured while he was going to marry a man in a short while?

"Brother…" Gwendal turned to his side to find Conrad. Yuuri kept staring at the man while hoping that he'd return his look soon.

"About the wedding date," Fulfilling Yuuri's silent wish, the brunet turned his head to the king and smiled warmly, "Can we talk about it right now?"

Yuuri was unsure what the cause of his loudly pounding heart was. He just suddenly felt very, very nervous.

"I guess we can." Gwendal looked to Yuuri, asking for his agreement. "Unless His Majesty feels tired and wants to sleep now…"

"No, it's okay. Let's talk about it now." Yuuri quickly replied. It's not like he would sleep that night. Besides, he wanted to know more about his upcoming marriage.

"I'll be waiting in my room." Gwendal excused himself and left.

Yuuri glanced at the man beside him nervously. Usually, there were a lot of things he could share with Conrad, especially since they hadn't talked a lot to each other lately. But that time, his tongue felt numb, his mind was in a complete blank. Whenever he tried to look at Conrad in the face, all he could think about was the kiss from the morning. Although it had been on the cheek, and had felt more affectionate than passionate, it didn't reduce its impact in his mind. He suddenly felt so embarrassed.

"The vase…" he stammered, realizing that Conrad had been waiting for him to start a conversation, "it's really… superb." Yuuri immediately regretted his choice of adjective.

"Thank you," Conrad smiled happily, "I planned to give it to you from the beginning, but I didn't think that it'd be used in this way."

"If you hadn't told us about it yourself, I probably wouldn't believe that the owner could do such charity…" Yuuri quickly realized his mistake, and corrected, "I mean, I've met the owner of the antique shop before. He looks talkative and stingy… so…"

"So you've met him before?" Conrad quickly recovered from his earlier surprise, "Well, he does not show it in public, but I think he's quite a nice man inside."

Yuuri let out a weak chuckle, "Oh, I see…"

The conversation stopped there. During the silence, Yuuri could feel his face bright red. What was making him feel nervous anyway? Why couldn't he face Conrad and talk to him normally? Was it caused by the sudden change in their relationship? It was so weird. Something must have been going wrong in his brain. First, he had to stop thinking about the kiss and stop staring at Conrad's lips, then secondly… whatever. He wasn't even sure if he could handle the first.

Yuuri shook his head, trying to shake weird thoughts out of his mind. Then suddenly a warm palm was pressed on his sweaty forehead.

"Are you okay?" Conrad asked, looking concerned at his weird attitude. "If you're tired, you can return to your bedroom now. Shall I ask Gisela to check on you?"

Yuuri quickly shook his head again. Then he could hear his own shaking voice, "I'm okay."

Conrad didn't seem persuaded, but brooked no complaint.

"…Shall we head to Gwendal's office now?"

XXX

Meanwhile…

"It's just the most scenic wedding symbol I've ever seen." Gunter approached Cheri with a wide smile, "You must be very proud of him, Lady Cheri."

"I agree. Although it's a bit disappointing… I have to say my son is so wonderful." The ex-Maou smiled happily as she placed the box on the table and opened it.

"What are you going to do with it, Lady Cheri?" The silver-haired mazoku looked surprised as Cheri picked up the wildflowers and dipped them in to the strange liquid, settling them carefully in the vase. They fitted each other perfectly.

"Oh, it's even prettier this way, don't you think so?" She pulled her hand out and glanced at her creation proudly.

Gunter still looked concerned, "Lady Cheri, please wash your hand soon. We don't know what the liquid could be. It might be dangerous…"

Cheri laughed, "Don't worry. _Aomi_ is not dangerous or poisonous at all. You can even drink it if you want. It tastes sour."

"How do I know that? Because my ex-boyfriend and I are the inventors of this liquid." She answered Gunter's question even before he had his chance to ask. Closing the glass box gently, she sighed softly at the memory of her past love. "Ah, brings back the memories… He was such a nice man… a brilliant alchemist… I liked him a lot although sometimes he could be really troublesome and stingy…"

The owner of the antique shop sneezed.

"If he was such a wonderful man, why did you break up?" Gunter asked.

"We had different opinions about the name of the water…" The ex-Maou laughed, "I wanted to name it: _Aomi_, Aoi Mizu (Blue Water). But he insisted on 'Wonderfully Spectacular Stunning Amazing Great Magnificent Holy Water', so we broke up."

Cheri gave the glass box one last pat before turning around and walking away, "I wonder if he still remembers me…"

XXX

There was only one guest chair in Gwendal's office, and Conrad insisted to be the one standing. Yuuri actually understood the situation. As a king, he would always be top priority. Even if there was only one chair in the room, he'd still be the one sitting while Gwendal and Conrad stood. But it was just not the right time for him to have Conrad standing behind him, and Gwendal staring in front of him. It somehow doubled his nervousness.

"Gunter and I have found the right time to hold your marriage," Gwendal started as he pulled a document out of the tall stack, "Now that Conrad has fulfilled his task, we can confirm the date and begin the preparations. If you want to choose another date, it's your time."

Yuuri waited anxiously. Normally, preparations for a marriage would take about two or three months, or four months at the most. But it was Shin Makoku, a peculiar place where peculiar events happened daily. It could be next month, next week, or even tomorrow! The date was completely unpredictable.

"It will be held…" Gwendal frowned at the document in front of him, "…In the first day of the eighth month…"

Yuuri gulped. Since his birthday party had just been held a few days ago, it meant that it was July; the seventh month… eight month would be next month. He felt a bit reassured. At least it wouldn't be held the next day.

"…Next year."

Yuuri almost fell off his chair. NEXT YEAR! What did he mean by next year? What kind of event would need more than one year to prepare?

"I don't mind about it." Conrad placed a hand on his fiancé's shoulder gently, not aware of the jolt he had caused with the simple touch. "How about you, Yuuri?"

"I… I'm okay with that." The king stammered as he carefully removed Conrad's hand from his shoulder. Its usual soothing presence didn't feel the same at the moment, and he didn't want the half-mazoku to feel his quiver.

"Then it's settled. You can return to your room now."

Yuuri nodded weakly as he stood up and walked out of the room, while Conrad still stayed at his place. It seemed that he still had something to talk about with Gwendal.

"When's the wedding?" Murata asked when Yuuri was outside of the room, smiling a bit too innocently that it looked suspicious.

"Next year," he answered, taking a deep breath. He felt a lot calmer without Conrad around him. "It will be held next year. I won't be staying here long enough to attend it, fortunately."

"I see," Murata nodded, "You don't have to look so disappointed."

"I'm not thinking about it." Yuuri replied, trying to sound firm enough. "It's just… I feel a bit ill."

"I see…" Murata repeated, but now with a smile, "Oh, right. Just now, Wolfram came with a tray of food. He was looking for you."

"Really? Great!" Yuuri's face brightened, "I never knew that he could be so considerate! I just told him that I wanted to eat the fruit Yozak brought me earlier! You have to try some too. It's really good."

"…Whom are you talking to, Yuuri?"

The king almost jumped in his place at the voice from behind him.

"C---Conrad!" He stammered. His previously calmed down heart suddenly throbbed again. "A… a… Are you done with Gwendal?"

"Yes. We just talked about the preparations."

Yuuri quickly noticed that Conrad didn't look as happy as before, although he was still smiling.

"I see…"

Yuuri couldn't believe that their conversation had once more halted with those cursed words. And he also found it hard to believe that it would be so difficult for him to find the right topic to speak to Conrad with.

Conrad, being the only person in Shin Makoku who also knew a lot about his world and his favorite sport, had always been his best talking partner. Conrad often told him about various trivia that he didn't know. Yuuri also could talk to him about his latest competitions, his teachers, his friends, or his family. To think about it, no one ever could give him better advice than Conrad. Although the older man always found it hard to tell a joke, the clumsiness itself was amusing enough to make Yuuri laugh.

_How did it come to this?_ Yuuri mentally moaned, _Think, Yuuri! Think!_

"Uh… umm… you know, this evening, Yozak brought me… you know, the fruit. I don't know its name, but it looks like an apple. Its texture is very soft and it tastes sweet…"

"You mean _Yen Berry_?" Conrad blinked, "It's indeed good for recuperating from an illness. I thought you didn't like it so I've never offered it to you… Is something wrong with your body? Did you catch a cold?"

"No, no. Pochi splashed some water on me, but I'm okay now." Yuuri smiled. He was glad that the tenseness between them was evaporating. "I told Wolfram that I liked it, so he brought some for me in my room. Care to eat it together?"

"I thought you'd share with me." Murata whispered with a teasing smile.

Yuuri ignored him, "To think about it, you've been going out a lot lately, so you must have some interesting stories. If you're not tired, we can talk about it in my room. How does that sound?"

Conrad's face beamed at the offer, "Sure."

"Then it's decided! Let's go now---"

Yuuri was struck speechless as he suddenly felt Conrad's arm around his waist. Right after recovering from the shock, he looked up only to find Conrad closing the distance between their faces. Yuuri knew what the older half-mazoku was about to do. As a loud mental 'NO WAY!' rang in his mind, he felt himself pushing his fiancé away.

Neither Yuuri nor Conrad actually saw the whole scene as clearly as Murata did. Yuuri was too busy mending his thrashing heart to notice the broken look on Conrad's face.

Murata sighed.

What a complicated couple.

XXX

Even after the harsh rejection, Conrad didn't look as messed up as Murata had expected. He still acted his usual self, smiling, chuckling, and talking without showing any signs of his broken heart at all.

For Yuuri, it felt a bit relieving. He also regretted the way he had reacted before. Conrad must have been very offended. He wished he could have done something to fix his mistake.

Murata thought that the way Conrad was refusing to show his feelings was one of the major flaws in their relationship. Yuuri, being as dense as no other, would not understand that Conrad was hurting unless Conrad himself showed it in an obvious way. Murata was sure that Conrad understood this too, but he still chose to keep his feelings in and continuing hurting alone instead of sharing it with Yuuri, or anyone else.

_He has aged, but his mind apparently hasn't._ The fairy crossed his arms, glancing at the smiling man with a similar expressionless smile. _I wonder what made them get together at the first place… Maybe it only took a year with one slight development… or a total of a thousand episodes to get to this point…_ (I agree! XD I'm getting old, Sir, so just go ahead and –censored- him!)

A few hours before midnight, Conrad excused himself to leave. Yuuri had never felt so relieved when he was finally once again alone with his dream fairy in his room.

"Happy now? Cause he sure doesn't look like he is." Murata commented, taking a slice of the fruit, "Oh, so soft and sweet. It's like nothing else."

"I know." Yuuri muttered, "I've treated him so badly… but I just don't how to apologize. And I can't explain why I rejected him either."

"I agree," The fairy took another slice and threw it in to his mouth, "but don't you think leaving the situation as it is without explanation would hurt him more? Especially since you two are going to be roommates shortly…"

Yuuri blinked, "…What did you say?"

"Finding the Wedding Symbol ceremony legalizes the relationship between a couple. After doing the ritual, even before marriage, it's legal for the couple to do whatever they want." Murata enjoyed the terrified expression on his master as he reached out for more slices, "I mean, _everything_, which includes –censored-, -censored-, -censored-, and further…"

"…It can't be…" The king looked horror-struck, "…It means that… after this…"

"It's true, Shibuya," Although his smile was angelic, his next statement stated that he was not an angel… at all.

"You'll probably lose your virginity tomorrow… the day after tomorrow… anytime."

It was a real moment of joy for Murata when the king started to lose the color in his face, and was gobsmacked for a moment. While waiting for Yuuri to recover from the stabbing truth, he finished the entire plate of the fruit. Besides, he didn't think that his master still had his appetite.

"I…" Yuuri muttered absent-mindedly, "…Let's run away from this place."

"Eh?" Murata blinked, "You're sure?"

"I'm sure that I don't want to have sex with a man (I don't even know how to do it)!" The king glowered as he dashed to his dresser and started packing up. "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier! If only I knew, I wouldn't have asked you to help him!"

"Well, whether I told you or not would make little difference, Shibuya." The fairy replied calmly as he approached the panicking king and watched him pack, "Do you know what Sir Gunter had threatened Sir Conrad with?"

"Some kind of heavy punishment?"

"Close, but not exactly is."

"Then what is it?"

Murata smiled playfully, "Well… first, I need to know… whether you have heard of the words _seme_ and _uke_…"

XXX

By the time Murata finished his long, detailed explanation, Yuuri's face was almost as pale as his Math exam paper. Just in a few short minutes, Yuuri had been changed from an innocent to an obscene-expert. If only he hadn't been exposed to such variously astounding shocks since he had transferred to Shin Makoku, he would have probably fainted on the spot.

"…And so, Sir Gunter has threatened Sir Conrad that he would make him the official '_uke'_ and have you as the official '_seme'_. Got it?"

Yuuri didn't even have the energy to nod. No wonder Cheri had looked so happy when Conrad had told them all that he had failed. That devious queen must have _those thoughts_ inside her head.

"Are you still going to run away?" Murata asked, "Because I don't think it's a good idea. A fairy messenger has just informed me that 'holes of no return' have been appearing all around the area. Inside of the castle is safe, but I can't assure you if even our front yard is safe. It's best to stay inside."

"No way! I'm getting out of this place!" Yuuri yelled in a panic. After hearing Murata's explanations, he was even more terrified at the idea of being with another man, and the more determined he was to run away from the castle.

"What's the 'hole of no return' anyway? Why do I have to be aware of it?"

"It's a phrase that's commonly used to address some kind of black hole that sucks the owner of the dream up." Murata said, looking a bit tenser at the topic, "You have to always be alert of it, since once it gets you, you won't be able to return here."

"Where will it take me to?" Yuuri asked, looking a bit hopeful at the possibility that it might be able to get him back to real life.

"There're two choices: it'll bring you back to life, or it will send you straight to the grave."

"Great!" The young king's face beamed, "Does it mean that if I get sucked up there, I'll be able to wake up?"

"I don't think it's a good option if you want to return home, Shibuya."

"Why not?"

Murata made a thinking face before starting his explanation, "This is an example. If I have a gun in my hand, then I fill it up with bullets and only leave one empty space randomly, then I ask you to shoot my head with it, will you do it?"

Yuuri shivered at the uncanny illustration, "Of course not! You'll be killed for sure!"

"The same thing applies here," The fairy resumed, "Your chance of getting back to consciousness is even lower than the possibility that I live through the Russian roulette. That's why if you really want to get back to real life… never EVER let one of the holes catch you."

"Do you understand?"

Yuuri nodded weakly. It was still hard for him to accept that the only way he knew to return to real life turned out to be very dangerous.

"If you're afraid that you will never come back, I assure you not to." Murata read his mind, again. "You're still young, you also have the power of the Maou, and your comrades are trying their best to cure you. You'll recuperate faster than anybody else. It's best to wait until the time comes."

Yuuri remained silent.

"Once your brain is able to function normally, you'll be directly sent back to reality. It'll only take less than one second, and there's no risk to be taken." Murata tried to look and sound cheerful to convince the king, "Come on, be strong, and don't try anything stupid. Remember that everybody is waiting for you right there. They'll be very sad if something happens to you."

Yuuri sighed again, as he turned around and returned to his bed, sat up cross-legged on the bed and made a very serious thinking face. Murata was relieved, thinking that the king was trying to absorb his counsel, but…

XXX

"…How did he manage to coax me in to this?"

Murata was complaining along his way to the kitchen. He was a dream fairy, and Yuuri was indeed his master; but what kind of master would use his fairy to do such a (literally) dirty job?

FLASHBACK - Morning

---

"This is the only way to escape my problem, at least for today." Yuuri looked quite determined as he held up a jar of laxative and showed it to the bewildered fairy.

"…You're not thinking of…"

"Yes, I am. And since I can't do it, I have to ask for your help." The king handed the jar over, taking another deep breath, "Please, put this in to his dinner tonight. Then he won't be able to… err… you know what I mean."

"That is dirty (literally)." The fairy quickly shook his head.

"Oh, come on, please, Murata. I'm desperate! They're starting to move Conrad's things in to this room!" Yuuri moaned, seemingly ready to kneel down in front of him right there. "Only for today, okay? At least let me prepare myself. I'm really not ready! I'll look for a cleaner way tomorrow, is it okay?"

Murata opened his mouth to protest again. But the pitiable look Yuuri was giving him was simply too powerful. He ended up nodding, and quickly regretted it.

---

"Is His Majesty going to have dinner in his room again?"

"No, I don't think so. But we'll just be prepared in case His Majesty suddenly feels like it."

"Please hurry with the beverages!"

Seeing how hard the workers were working to prepare the dinner almost made Murata feel guilty for ruining it. But he really had no time to change his mind. It was his master's orders, and the food was going to be taken to the dining room soon. Stopping in front of the line of trays in front of him, he recalled Yuuri's words about how to find Conrad's food.

ANOTHER FLASHBACK

---

"I've helped once in the kitchen, so I know how they prepare our food. They always line up the tray on some kind of long table while preparing dinner." Yuuri explained, "They start from my tray, followed by the others. Usually, after me, it's Cheri, then Gunter, Gwendal, Conrad, Wolfram and Anissina. So, go for the fifth tray." 

---

Murata reached for the fifth tray and emptied the jar in to the soup then stirred it with his finger.

"Don't blame me for this." He gave the innocent-looking soup one last glance, "It's nothing personal."

XXX

It was probably the scariest dinnertime Yuuri had ever experienced in his life. Although he knew that he was not supposed to look suspicious, he couldn't help staring at Conrad and the soup all the time. When everyone had nearly finished with the meal, Conrad still hadn't taken one sip of the soup. It made Yuuri feel impossibly nervous. Had the man known about his plan?

"…Stop scooping your water, wimp!" Wolfram sounded really frustrated that he had decided to violate the unspoken rule to not yell during mealtime. "If you want to think, then do it after dinner!"

"S---Sorry!" Yuuri glanced down and saw his spoon inside his glass.

"Are you okay, Your Majesty?" Gunter asked, looking concerned.

"No, I mean, yes. I'm okay." Yuuri turned his eyes to Conrad again. The man didn't seem disturbed with the ruckus he had just caused.

"You don't like the soup? Does it taste bad?" Cheri's voice almost made Yuuri fall off his chair. She seemed to also realize that Conrad hadn't touched his soup at all.

"I haven't tasted it." Conrad replied calmly. Yuuri watched him with his pounding heart. "I just don't have the appetite at this moment."

"Mou… You were never this picky before…" Cheri muttered, seeming to accept the explanation. "Losing one's virginity can really change one's personality…"

Yuuri, Wolfram, Anissina, Gwendal and Gunter were all gobsmacked, while Conrad looked like he was struggling not to spit his recently drunken water out.

"…Mother…" The eldest of the dissimilar brothers coughed, frowning.

"Eee? You mean they haven't done anything yet?" Cheri looked so disappointed, "But yesterday…"

"They'll start to share the room tonight." Gwendal said, "We've almost finished moving the things."

"Oh, I'm happy!" The gorgeous lady clapped her hands excitedly, "Your Majesty, if you need any advice, you can come with me after dinner. Let the guys do the tiring job of moving. We can discuss about this in every juicy detail. What do you think?"

"I think I'll just help them move the things." Yuuri quickly replied. It wasn't like Murata's careful explanations hadn't been enough. He just couldn't imagine the Cheri-every-juicy-detail-version of it.

"You know, I think you should have taken the offer, wimp. Considering your… pitiful knowledge, I doubt that you know what to do." Wolfram remarked mockingly.

"W---What are you saying? Of course I know about it!" Yuuri blurted out before he could think about the consequences of his shocking speech. Everyone immediately turned to him, looking very, very curious.

"Really? I didn't know that sex-education is involved in Gunter's class." Anissina commented.

"No, no. I think he learned it from Brother himself." Wolfram turned his eyes to Conrad, who still looked calm.

"You gave him a private lesson? Oh, how exciting!" Cheri squee-ed, "Tell me, tell me, what did you teach him? Did he learn well?"

"Your Majesty! If you will allow me, I can teach you about it!" Gunter looked just as excited, "We can even practice, any methods… if you want…" –nosebleed-

Gwendal took a sip of his soup, sighing quietly.

"Thank you for the food."

Everyone immediately stopped talking and turned their eyes to the brunet who was standing up and getting out of the table.

"There's something I need to take care of. Excuse me."

The silence remained, even several minutes after Conrad's exit. Most of the members decided to get back to their food, although they didn't really have the appetite anymore. As for Yuuri, he had stopped eating and was staring at Conrad's untouched soup. He started to believe that Conrad had somehow found out about the laxative.

_I have to apologize,_ Yuuri put down his fork, sighing quietly.

XXX

After searching for a short while, Yuuri finally found the half-mazoku. He was in their shared room, tidying his scattered goods silently. The sullen expression on his face made Yuuri feel even guiltier for plotting such an evil plan. He immediately approached the man, sat next to him and picked up one of his shirts. He originally wanted to do something to help Conrad with his chores while finding a chance to talk, but now he was unsure of what he should do with the clean white shirt.

"Umm… about… it…" He muttered quietly, holding onto the shirt tightly, "…Have you known about it?"

"…Perhaps…" The older half-mazoku replied calmly, turning to the king, looking really sad.

"You…"

Both of them spoke at the same time.

Conrad nodded and gave Yuuri a signal to talk first. But Yuuri was suddenly feeling too nervous to talk. So he gave Conrad another signal to go first. The man complied.

"I've been wondering… if your feelings have changed."

Yuuri looked down, not daring to face him directly.

"You have been avoiding me all the time, you look so nervous whenever I'm around you, and… you also disliked it when I tried to… lay a hand on you."

The king gulped and mentally moaned. Where was Murata when he needed him the most?

Yuuri waited for Conrad to continue and mention about the laxative, but it never came. The uncomfortable silence remained for so long that Yuuri thought that he couldn't take it anymore. He had to say something. Maybe he had to explain about his anxiety. Conrad wouldn't force him to do anything he didn't want to do. Yes, Conrad would understand. He would definitely understand.

"I'm so sorry!"

The brunet looked mostly bewildered as his fiancé fell onto his knees, clapped his hands together and bowed his head down deeply to him.

"Conrad, I can't do this! I'm not ready! I have been told about 'it', but I still can't imagine myself doing 'it' for real! I might look ready physically, but not mentally! Trust me, my mental age is still sixteen! My P.E. teacher told me that I've got a low EQ and an average IQ! I drank vinegar when I was five because I was curious how it tasted, I fell from my bed when I was two, I caught a rat bare-handed when I was ten, I tasted _wasabi_ for the first time when I was seven and I often forget to write my name on my exam sheets!"

Conrad looked so astounded that he was struck speechless for a short moment.

"Please forgive me! You have always been the best part of my life but I've been feeling really weird lately! I always get nervous whenever you're around, and my heart would pound really hard when I talk to you! It's not that I dislike your touch, but it makes me feel strange inside! I don't know why, but I'll get it examined as soon as possible, I promise! Gisela-san will definitely be able to cure me, then I can act normally around you again, and…"

First, all Yuuri could feel was a pair of strong arms lifting his body up. Before he could look up and voice any protests, he felt a tingling, warm sensation on his lips. His eyes were still wide open, but he could see nothing but a blurred, incoherent picture. He lost his grip on the shirt he had been clutching. His body felt paralyzed, and his brain was just as immobile. It was the first time he had ever felt something like this. It was how a first kiss felt like, he guessed. It was almost as wonderful as he had imagined a few years before when he had watched his first kissing scene in his mother's favorite _dorama_. Thankfully, it didn't last too long, or he would have probably fainted from both shock and suffocation.

Yuuri's sight was still blurred for a moment after Conrad released him. As his normal vision was returned to him, he could see the man smiling. It was a smile he had never seen before. It made him feel like the most precious person in the world. Nobody had been able to make him feel that way before. It felt… delightful.

"It's just like several years ago." He finally spoke, looking really happy, "The way you act, and the way you speak."

Yuuri was still dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond.

"I'm sorry we had to have this conversation in the first place. I shouldn't have doubted you from the start. I should have tried to understand that you're just as nervous as I am." Conrad inhaled deeply, "After failing numerous times, it often came to my mind if I wasn't the right person for you, that Shin Maou had made it especially difficult for us for a reason. I was feeling unconfident. I was afraid that you would not be happy with me. I can't stop worrying, even now…"

Another foreign feeling hit Yuuri as he stared into those honey-brown eyes. It wasn't unpleasant, but it also made him feel like he wasn't being himself. His mind was full of Conrad. He could feel Conrad in his medulla, Conrad in his Cerebellum, Diencephalons… Wait, what were we talking about before? –sweatdrop-

"I'm the one who should apologize to you." Yuuri drew closer to the man, "I am sorry. I promise it won't happen again."

The king was probably not exaggerating when he thought that he would give anything he had to see that expression again on Conrad's face. Suddenly Murata's explanations didn't matter anymore. After all, what could have been more important than the happiness of his future husband?

XXX

TBC

OMAKE 1. Why didn't Conrad have his soup? Did he know about the laxative? 

**YUURI**: Umm… Conrad, why didn't you have your soup?

**CONRAD**: Every time I touched my bowl, you would glare at me. So I thought you didn't want me to have it.

…That's it; our oh-so-considerate Conrad-kun had dodged the upcoming danger so wonderfully. –grins-

2. Is it possible that Murata-kun had misplaced the potion? 

**YOU**: Have you?

**MURATA**: -still smiling peacefully- A fairy could never make such mistakes, could he?

MEANWHILE…

**GUNTER: **Ugh… uh… my stomach… Excuse me! –runs to the restroom-

**GWENDAL: **…That makes it four times. Ask Gisela to examine him.

**ANISSINA**: No, it's five. My counter machine can never be wrong.

**CHERI**: Eeh? I told him to wash his hands properly after touching Pochi…

XXX

END OF OMAKE


	12. Chapter 12

HEELS OVER HEAD 

Chapter Twelve

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **ProudSnapist** a.k.a **Sherlockian Slytherin**

Alternate Universe. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

Murata was happily browsing the pictures he had taken with his digital camera when Yuuri entered the room quietly. With a soft 'poof' the camera was transferred back in to his bag, and he turned to the frowning boy with his usual innocent smile.

"…What were you doing?" Yuuri asked, looking suspicious and wary.

"I was reading the letter from fairy messenger about the 'holes of no return'. I think I have to learn more about it so I can direct you to safe places." He replied swiftly. If only Yuuri hadn't had the ability to read his holy ring, perhaps he would have been fooled. That fairy made a wonderful actor. But Yuuri didn't plan to scold him, or try to find out what Murata was hiding. He had a more important issue to be worried about.

"How about you? You look troubled." Murata commented as he moved to his side, giving away his previous space for Yuuri who complied with his offer. "How was the laxative plan? Did it work?"

Yuuri shook his head, "No. Conrad didn't have the soup at all. We failed."

"I see…" The fairy's smile still looked sweet, but his holy ring was now sparkling with yellow and light pink glows. Yellow meant happiness, and light pink meant untruth. Yuuri could only assume that whether Conrad had had his soup or not, they would still have failed.

"What else? You just got your second kiss of the day?"

"How did you know that!"

"…It was just a lucky guess."

"Oh…" Yuuri shrank back down sheepishly, "I… well… since we're engaged here… it would be strange to refuse, so I…"

"Seriously, you can establish a happy family with him." Murata chuckled, "You two already look like newly-weds."

"We do?" Yuuri made a thinking face, "Umm… well… perhaps it's because he often puts his arm around my shoulders, he likes to brush my cheek, sometimes he also plays with my hair and… Hey, what are you snickering about?"

"No…" Murata replied in between his laughter, "It's just that… actually I expected something like 'No way! There's no way I'll build a happy family with another man!', not you explaining about how intimate the two of you have become."

The king had never felt so red in his life.

Murata could have sworn that he saw cute tiny flying pink hearts above Yuuri's head. Since it was a dream, nothing was impossible, was it? The hearts might really exist. But Murata still wanted to confirm his guess.

"The plan has failed. What are you going to do now?" He asked.

"I… don't know." Yuuri shrugged, "I just… uh… perhaps we can leave it alone? I mean…"

"…You want to sleep with him?"

"No! No! No! It's not like that!" The king looked like he wanted to escape reality---I mean, the dream, by plugging both of his ears. The voice still penetrated through, though. "I just think that I can discuss this with him. Conrad will definitely understand. We don't have to plot anything dirty."

The fairy held back a wide, wide grin, "I think that's the best solution."

Yuuri nodded weakly. His body was right there, but it seemed that his mind was somewhere else far away. Common symptom of lovesickness.

Murata didn't know if it was just another dream-delusion, but he was almost positive that he had seen a glint of regret in the king's eyes. The power of love never failed to amaze him. It could cause so many changes in one's heart within an amazingly short period of time.

"Yuuri, you're not asleep yet?"

The raven-haired boy could feel his heart jumping at the familiar voice, but he managed to stay calm and did not lose the smile on his face. Murata quickly transformed in to Chibi Murata and floated into the air.

"You're back. It's late."

"Mother forced me to stay in her room a bit longer." The brunet returned his smile, sitting next to him on the bed a bit closer than usual. But for some reason, it made Yuuri feel happy.

"I hope you're not going to tell me what she told you." The king chuckled.

"Only if you wish it, Your Majesty."

"I told you not to call me that again!" Yuuri pouted.

"I'm sorry. Getting rid of a habit is harder than you think." Conrad didn't really look like he meant it.

"YOU purposely made it into a habit in the first place!"

"It's just normal for an inferior to call his king with more respect."

"Then I'm going to call you '_Nazukeoya'_ too!"

"Only if you wish it, Your Majesty."

"Conrad!"

Now Murata really felt like going out of the scene. Being a third person between a couple during their private moment was really a violation, even in fairy world. Besides, the level of mushiness in the atmosphere was getting more than he could bear.

Then his eyes fell on the digital camera he had been holding inside his bag. It was probably the perfect time to develop the pictures.

XXX

Yuuri wondered where Murata was. A moment ago, he had still been floating behind him, but now he had disappeared from the room. Really, the fairy was never with him when he needed him the most!

"What were you muttering about?"

"Oh, nothing." Had he just said it outloud? "By the way, what did you just say before?"

"It's… this."

Yuuri was momentarily paralyzed as he saw the pendant Conrad was holding. It was the blue pendant Conrad had given to him on his first day in Shin Makoku. The king frantically searched for the necklace around his neck. It was missing.

"How could you…"

"It's not the same as the previous one." Conrad explained calmly as he gently held Yuuri's hand and placed the pendant in the bewildered king's hold, "It's sapphire. I looked at the gemstone very intensely at the workshop so that the owner told me that if I could make a pendant with it, he'd give it to me. I was about to pick another stone, but I thought you liked blue the most, so I chose this one. It looks quite similar to the previous one. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh… okay…" Yuuri glanced at the pendant in confusion. He wanted to ask Conrad what had happened with the previous pendant, but changed his mind a second later. It would be suspicious to be asking about something that he should already have known.

"You don't like it?" Seeing his unhappy expression, Conrad asked. "I will replace it with another one if you…"

"No, no. I like it. I like this very much." Yuuri quickly said, "Thank you. You've brought so many gifts for me today. I can't decide which I like the most."

Yuuri flushed and bowed his head down at his own thoughts. Was it just his imagination or had Conrad really given him an 'I'm one of the gifts, do whatever you please with me' look just now?

"Then, I'll make it a necklace again so I can bring it everywhere with me." He ran a finger on the pendant. It felt cold under his touch, but strangely, it also made him feel so warm inside.

"I'll never lose this again. I promise, I'll take better care of it this time…" Yuuri looked up to thank the older man once more, only to receive his third kiss of the day. He had promised to take better care of the pendant, but he dropped it anyway. With his arms around Conrad's body, he could hardly feel anything else but the wonderful sensation he was experiencing.

A moment after they separated, Yuuri felt a tinge of disappointment. But he also liked it when Conrad brushed his face with his hand after they kissed. Conrad's fingers were not soft, but they were also the most comforting ones he had ever felt. They made him feel like he could overcome anything.

…_Did I just wish for time to stop?_

"I love you, Yuuri."

The three sacred words made Yuuri's heart jump. How was he supposed to reply? He wasn't even sure about his own feelings yet. Telling the truth would only hurt him, since they were just a step away from marriage. But telling a lie was not one of Yuuri's specialties.

"I… I…"

Conrad waited patiently, keeping the loving smile on his handsome face.

"I… I… I… I'm going to ask Anissina-san to get this pendant attached! I--I'll be back in a moment!"

With those words, he grabbed the abandoned pendant on the floor and dashed out of the room.

After the disappearance of his fiancé, all Conrad did was sigh.

"I'll have to wait just a little longer…"

XXX

"There you are." Anissina, who was still wearing her lab coat, handed over the new necklace to him.

"Thanks. It looks just the same as the previous one." Yuuri looked at the gift happily. Now he would feel like he had never lost the previous one.

"Really?"

Anissina's unusual tone caused Yuuri to turn his eyes toward her face. It was still her usual confident face, but for some reason, it looked a bit different. It looked… more cheerful than usual.

"I think it's even better than the previous one," the inventor remarked with a smile, "I really do."

Yuuri blinked at her in confusion before turning his eyes back to the pendant. To him, it still looked the same. It was just as beautiful as its forerunner. What made it different, anyway?

Sensing the king's puzzlement, Anissina clarified her statement, "Well, sometimes it's necessary to have more than two ears."

Yuuri was still standing there, looking at her with a big question tag above his head.

"Then, if you will excuse me, I'll return to my laboratory now."

"O… okay."

XXX

"Sometimes it's necessary to have more than two ears? Did she pick up the line from a poem or something?" Yuuri muttered as he made his way back to his room. Glancing at the pendant once more, he wondered what made it special, since he couldn't see it yet.

Before he realized it, he had reached his room. There was no guard in front of the room at the time, and he thought he knew why.

Then suddenly a realization hit him.

Something that made the pendant special.

XXX

"Conrad, I think…"

Still holding on the doorknob, Yuuri had to use some time to adjust his eyes to the sudden darkness. He could hardly see a thing with the lamps off. Fortunately, the moon shone quite brightly that night. At least, it was bright enough to make sure that he wouldn't trip over the carpet or something else.

"Conrad?" He called again as he closed the door.

"Conrad, are you…"

A pat on his shoulder almost made Yuuri jump in surprise. Before a gasp escaped from his lips, he could feel someone's hand covering them up, gently, but also firmly.

"Don't be too loud. You'll wake him up." Came the familiar voice. As Yuuri turned around, he could see the smiling face of his best friend.

"Murata, what did you…"

"It's actually a noncompliance, but I had no choice. I put him to sleep." The fairy transformed back in to his chibi version. "Because you and I need to do something at this moment."

Yuuri nodded, "What is it?"

"I'm going to show you some dangerous spots. Holes of no return have infiltrated this castle." Murata said as he floated to the door, "There aren't any in this room, but some of them are scattered close by. Come with me."

"A… all right." It seemed that the story about the mysterious black holes wasn't just something Murata had used as an excuse to confine him in the castle.

Still holding onto the pendant tightly, Yuuri threw his room one more glance before turning around and exiting.

XXX

After going around the castle for a few hours, Yuuri was finally allowed to return to his room. He was quite exhausted, and it was so disappointing to think that he couldn't sleep to compensate the energy he had spent for the day's activities.

"It's just in my mind… it's just in my mind… I'm sleeping all day long anyway… even at this moment…"

Repeating the words in his mind infinitely, he approached his dresser to get dressed for sleep. Although he wouldn't be able to sleep, he still needed to be there and feign it when Conrad woke up in the morning.

It would probably be harder to stay awake that night, since Murata had gone to find out more about the holes of no return. The fairy had said that he would have been back in a few hours, and had taught him some weird spells to maintain his health, but it wasn't enough for Yuuri to survive. Without someone to talk to, and someone else sleeping so peacefully next to him, it would probably be his very last night.

Sighing quietly, he made his way to the bed. Little he knew that what he was about to see would save his life and keep him awake for the whole night. Yuuri just couldn't hold back his gasp at the time.

Murata had said that he had put Conrad to sleep, but… he had never mentioned about stripping the man!

Yuuri just found it hard to believe that he couldn't take his eyes off Conrad's naked form although he knew that he should be rushing to find a blanket or any clothes to save the man from catching a cold. And it became more unbelievable for him that his body was actually reacting to what his eyes were witnessing.

A moment after some sense of rationality came back to him, he quickly jumped onto the bed, grabbed the neatly folded blanket and covered his whole body up with it.

…_I'm getting turned on by a man's naked body?_

Yuuri closed his eyes tightly, still clutching onto his blanket. How did this happen? He hadn't even experienced a wet dream yet!

Right. It WAS a wet dream.

He stayed in that position for the whole night. He only came out once to place a blanket over Conrad.

Murata didn't return until four in the morning and Yuuri refused to look or listen to him.

XXX

As Conrad slowly came to his senses, he could feel nothing else but the fuzzy warmth around him. He had never had such a nice and long sleep before, so he decided to give in and keep his eyes closed a little longer. As he turned to his side and felt the heat of sunny morning, it occurred to him that he was late in waking Yuuri up. The thought alone was enough to remind him of his whereabouts, and what he should be doing. He immediately opened his eyes, sat up and looked around, still looking a bit dazed.

"Are you awake?"

Conrad turned his eyes to the window and saw the slender figure of his beloved standing there, fully dressed, looking at him with an unusual calm on his face. He was struck speechless.

"Good morning." Yuuri approached him, smiling, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yes…" The brunet finally managed to answer, "Is it late?"

"No. It's still early. You can continue to sleep if you want." The king sat on the bed, never breaking the eye contact. "How did you fall asleep anyway? When I returned, you were already in bed."

"Well… actually, I can't remember…" Conrad smiled sheepishly, "Maybe I was too tired, so I accidentally fell asleep."

"I see." Yuuri looked relieved. "Umm… I've prepared your clothes… I'll be waiting for you outside… while you get dressed… okay?"

The king never stayed to wait for his answer. He rushed out of the room and shut the door behind him noisily.

Conrad turned to his side to find a set of clothes, with his underwear on the top.

He was astonished.

After remaining immobile for a short moment, he yanked his blanket away.

_What did I do last night?_

XXX

"Are you still mad at me?"

Yuuri was making his way to the backyard, where he and Conrad usually did their morning exercises. He knew that it was useless to exercise in his dream, but he really needed it at the time. At least, he needed the feeling.

Murata, who had been transformed in to his human-sized form, was following him from behind. He hadn't been able to make Yuuri talk to him since he had gotten back home at dawn. He was sure that the king was mad at him for displaying a naked Conrad in his bed the night before.

"I apologize if you think I was too careless last night. I only did it to keep you awake. You knew how dangerous the situation was, didn't you?"

"I'm not mad at you."

Murata had never felt so relieved as he heard the weak reply from his master.

"I just needed some time to think. That's all."

They finally reached the yard. Yuuri didn't waste anymore time. He started to jog. Murata was still following him from behind.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked.

"A lot of things." Yuuri sped up, "I might have gone insane."

"Insane?"

Murata decided that his chibi form was more suitable to follow his master, who was now running with all of his might. He transformed and caught up soon.

"I know how you're feeling at this moment… I want to let you know that I don't think that it's a bad thing."

Yuuri didn't answer and kept his pace. He wouldn't have been able to run this fast in the real world. He was enjoying his new strength.

"Don't you think so too?"

"…I don't know." He stopped after the tenth lap. It was amazing that his breathing were still regular. "Being different is scary. Somehow."

Murata hopped on his shoulder. Yuuri could feel his warm aura and it soothed his nerves down. "You're not ready for this. After some time, you'll feel a lot better."

"It's unfortunate that I don't have the chance to prepare myself." Yuuri started to jog again, slowly this time. "I don't know what kind of face I'm going to show Conrad when I wake up. I don't think I'll be able to look at him in the eye anymore. I'll hurt so many people around me."

"…I need to remind you that… no matter how real it feels, this is still a mere dream."

Yuuri paused again, trying to look at Murata on his left shoulder. But the fairy had floated away. A moment later, he was standing face-to-face with the big Murata. Looking at Murata's face, Yuuri was sure that he wouldn't be able to stay mad at the fairy for too long; as long as he still had his best friend's figure.

"You will forget everything you've experienced here when you wake up."

Time stopped for Yuuri for a moment.

"…You could have told me that earlier."

"You mean I haven't?"

Yuuri didn't know if he should be laughing or crying. Part of him regretted that he would forget about all the good things he had experienced; but another part was ultimately relieved that he wasn't going to bring home these confusing feelings. He would be able to open his eyes with ease, and everything would return to normal. Wasn't that a good thing? Strangely, he couldn't feel completely stress-free.

"How many laps?"

Conrad was definitely the very person he wanted to avoid the most at this time, but the meeting was inescapable. Strangely, it also made Yuuri feel happy just to see him again.

"Ten." Yuuri replied, smiling cheerfully at him, "This time, I don't think you can beat my record."

"I see. Then, ninety and one more laps left to beat your own record, Your Majesty."

Unaware of Yuuri's shocked look, the older man started to run ahead.

Yuuri took one deep breath before making his own move. One hundred laps! It was quite a brilliant record. He began to wonder if he was still human.

XXX

Laying on his back on the cold floor had never felt so nice before. If it was truly a dream, then it had to be the best kind to make him to be able to feel this way. Working out had never been better before.

"Are you okay?"

Yuuri opened his eyes to see the peaceful, smiling face of his fiancé. The man's vigor was truly unbelievable. No common mazoku would have been able to stand and breathe so steadily after the 120th lap. He had been beaten by one lap; his own record had expanded by nineteen laps. Yuuri could have insisted that he would have won if he hadn't started to run first, but judging from his disheveled look and the other's healthy one by now, he knew that Conrad would _always_ beat him by that magical one lap.

"I'm fine. Just let me stay here a little longer…" The king moaned as he tried to move his numb legs, inhaling the fresh air around him deeply.

"Let me help you."

Yuuri yelped as the half-mazoku sat on the floor next to him, lifted one of his legs up onto his lap, removed his shoes and socks, and then folded the trousers up to his knees.

"Stay still. It's not going to be painful," Conrad spoke calmly at the king's terrified expression. He started to run his fingers on the pale skin beneath, trying to find the aching spots.

Yuuri was ready to beg him to let him go right away, but he swallowed it back for his pride as a man. Besides, Conrad would never try to do anything that would hurt him. At least, that's what he had always believed.

He held back another gasp as Conrad started to press harder on one aching spot. Giving him another reassuring look, the man started to knead the sore muscles, very gently.

Since it wasn't as painful as he had expected, Yuuri started to relax, and Conrad began to intensify the pressure and the speed. Even so, the king didn't feel any pain. Instead, it felt quite good in a way that he couldn't express. He was almost disappointed when Conrad was finished with both of his legs.

"How do you feel now?" He asked.

"A lot better." Yuuri tried to move his legs and stood up. It didn't feel as painful as before. "Thanks. Where did you learn that?"

Conrad threw him a puzzled look. "I don't have any magical power like other mazokus so I have to learn how to cure in conventional ways. I thought I had told you about this before."

"Oh, really? Then I must have forgotten about it." Yuuri put on an innocent smile before turning around and starting to walk away. "Being conventional is good. It feels better than cures using magic."

"By the way, Yuuri…"

The king paused his steps and turned back to Conrad with a questioning look.

"Yes?"

"I… did something happen last night? I'm sure that I wasn't drunk or anything, but I can't remember anything, and I have never slept naked before, so…"

Yuuri shrugged and threw him a playful smile, "Then try to remember."

With that, he turned around and ran away, leaving the shaken man alone in his own swirling thoughts.

XXX

When Yuuri had hastily made the decision to bring the pendant to Anissina, he should have known that the name was also the exact synonym for 'trouble'. And he should also have told Conrad about his suspicions at the first place, or at least he should have been smart enough to not bring that pendant everywhere with him until it had been confirmed that it had been safe.

Yuuri could have made about twenty more statements using the phrase 'should have', but he didn't. Because he knew that the problem he was facing at the moment needed more of his attention.

It started when Yuuri entered the main hall after breakfast. All of his friends were there, and were suspiciously whispering about something that sounded important. They had held the meeting without him, which meant that it might be something that they were trying to hide from him.

_What are they talking about anyway? Why should they hide it from me?_ Yuuri stepped back out before casting some spells Murata had taught him to make him become invisible anytime. After making sure that he could not be seen, he reentered the room and stepped closer to his friends, trying to grasp the secret topic of their morning meeting.

"…Talking to himself…" Anissina ended her explanation, "As you've heard in the record."

"I still can't believe that His Majesty did this…" Gunter looked both desperate and exasperated, "What are we going to do?"

Yuuri was sure that they were definitely talking about him, although he didn't really understand the entire circumstance.

"I'm really concerned about this… Gwendal, what do you think?" Cheri moaned.

"…I think we have to talk to His Majesty. We should also include Conrad in this conversation. We can't keep this to ourselves." Gwendal replied firmly, "We're not going to judge His Majesty. We'll share our concerns with him and ask for his opinion."

Gwendal's words made Yuuri even more nervous. It sounded like a big, nation-wide problem that was concerning him as the big star!

Stumbling for reasons, Yuuri's eyes fell on a suspicious looking device on the small coffee table in the middle of the room. It looked like a conventional music player to him, but since Shin Makoku was a home nation of weird, peculiar things, he decided to take a better look before making the decision.

His suspicions were confirmed as he saw a cassette inside the device. But it didn't conclude his whole problem. He still wanted to listen to the cassette.

Without a second thought, he pushed the rewind button. It was quite easy to guess which button it was, since Anissina had placed obvious icons for each function. Fortunately, Anissina, who was standing next to the table, was too busy talking with the others to notice the faint sound of her own device.

Yuuri didn't wait until the cassette was fully restarted. After waiting for several minutes, he pushed the stop button, which caused a fairly louder sound than the previous button. Everyone's attention was immediately turned to the innocent machine.

"Did something happen with it?" Wolfram asked.

Anissina looked closer to her machine and shook her head. "No. It's okay. I'll recheck it later."

Then they returned to their intense conversation, which could hardly be comprehended by the sweating, invisible Yuuri.

_Maybe I should take this thing outside,_ he thought to himself as he glanced at the PLAY button. How he wanted to push it, but with all these people in the room, it would be impossible to listen to it properly.

Murata really did look like a shiny angel when he appeared from outside the door, giving him a thumbs up and nodding positively. A moment later, Murata had been transformed in to a perfect duplicate of Yuuri. Yuuri didn't like the way the fairy lamely imitated his attitudes, but it was quite amusing to see another him. It was probably the first time he noticed his truly built figure.

"Howdy, everybody! Good day!" Murata exclaimed, much to Yuuri's embarrassment.

All the people in the room looked shocked at the sudden, noisy appearance of their king.

"What are you doing here? I was about to gather everyone in the backyard to show you my newest magic!"

"Ooh, is that true, Your Majesty? You've gained a new magical ability?" Gunter looked so thrilled.

"Of course! I'd like to show the beautiful side of my magic! I can even do it without being Maou!" Murata looked quite confident, but Yuuri was getting more and more nervous. What on earth was the fairy planning to do? He had a bad, bad feeling about it. But the people were tricked by the cheap performance. He guessed that he still needed to thank the fairy later.

After making sure that everyone had gotten out, Yuuri finally pushed the play button. What he was about to hear was not any less shocking than the other previous incidents that had happened since the time he had arrived here.

"…_So this is the hole of no return?"_

It was his voice. And he had been talking about the hole of no return!

"It's quite small, how is it going to… WHOA! What are you doing?" 

There was a moment of silence after that, and Yuuri remembered that it was Murata's line. At the time, he had tried to approach the small dot-shaped black hole, and Murata had forcefully pulled him back before telling him that the hole could have sucked somebody within the radius of three feet or less. Fairy's voice could have not been recorded, Yuuri guessed.

"It's going to be hard to notice these. It's smaller than I expected."

After that line, Murata had told him that he would have to always stay by his side to guarantee his safety. Murata had also told him that each hole could only try to catch one person at a time.

Yuuri pushed the stop button in panic. It was the pendant. Anissina had placed a microphone somewhere on his pendant and recorded everything that night. She had probably done it at the request of Cheri who had intended to mess with him and Conrad about it later. When he had seen the guards absent from in front of his room that night, Yuuri had sensed it, but he had had no chance to speak it out to anybody.

Not wasting more time, Yuuri quickly took off his necklace and studied it carefully. He moaned mentally as he spotted the microphone attached on the back of the pendant. He instantly tore it off, threw it on the floor and stepped on it, almost viciously. They couldn't hear more than they already did.

XXX

Half an hour after the hidden microphone incident, Murata's show was finally done, and everybody returned to their respective activities. Yuuri didn't watch the show himself because he had been busy plotting something to escape everyone's suspicions. He hadn't come up with the slightest idea how to do it yet, but he was sure that his brilliant fairy would become sort of an inspiration. So he waited for him on one of the benches near the backyard.

Everyone who passed by were all talking about the greatness of the Maou's new magic. Yuuri could only smile dryly as he heard about how Murata had produced a pigeon from an old hat, the old handkerchief trick, and how the fairy had made a coin disappear from inside of a glass.

"If he was going to save my reputation, at least he should have performed something better; like stealing one of the towers or floating in the air." He muttered.

"I like old tricks because they are more honest, Shibuya." There came an answer from his back. Yuuri turned around to find his smiling self. He still wasn't used to seeing himself in anything other than a mirror, that he had reflexively stood up and took a step backward.

"Murata!" Exclaimed the bewildered king.

"If I do something more than that, I'm afraid that you'll be very troubled if they ask you to repeat it at dinner tonight." The fairy explained as he transformed back in to his current legal identity. "You need to learn the tricks soon. They want you to repeat the performance tonight."

"It's okay. It's not like my reputation hasn't been damaged by your performance back there…" Yuuri sighed, "By the way, there's a problem. It seems that our conversation about the holes of no return last night was recorded. They placed a microphone on my pendant."

Murata's unchanging expression made Yuuri feel more confident about the unimportance of the problem.

"They can't record my voice." The fairy finally spoke after a moment of silence.

"Yes, they can't. But my voice is on the footage. They must feel very suspicious at this moment." Yuuri explained calmly, "I didn't speak a lot last night; fortunately. But still, I need to plan something that would calm them down. Can you help me?"

Murata made another thinking face and nodded, "I have an effective plan… but it will damage your reputation. Is it okay?"

Yuuri inhaled again, deeper than ever, "…It's already been crushed…"

XXX

Murata's plan was clean and simple: sleepwalking.

"The guards weren't there and Sir Conrad was sound asleep that night. Nobody is going to doubt this theory."

"But I've never done it before. Wouldn't they be suspicious of why it just started happening recently?" Yuuri asked.

"You can tell them that you have been feeling nervous about your engagement with Sir Conrad since it became officially recognized." The fairy's ability to create reasons (in other words, tell untruths) was beyond good. It was probably somewhere between very good and excellent. "Everybody knows how it feels like to prepare a marriage. They'll just ask a psychiatrist to check on you, you'll comply with whatever therapy they'll offer, then after a few days, tell them that you've been cured."

"It means that I have to feign sleepwalking for a few days?" Yuuri seemed to take it as a bigger problem, "…Okay. It'd be nice to be able to sleep for real."

"You ARE sleeping." Murata's smile remained.

XXX

Although the plan had been plotted quite well, there was still one thing that had been bothering Yuuri. It was the same old, classic problem: Conrad.

Since the time he had left the stunned man in the backyard in the morning, Conrad had become a lot quieter. He looked dazed, all the time. Even Gwendal had to raise his voice to try to get his attention, and Cheri's teasing peck on his cheek wasn't able to bring him back to his senses. Everybody was worried about him.

Despite his unfit condition, Conrad still went on with his work as usual and trained the soldiers. Driven by his levelheaded concern, Yuuri followed him, and saw no improvement. He looked even worse than ever. A level-one soldier was able to bring him down in one swing. The soldier looked awfully proud of his (probably very first) victory; especially since the one he had beaten was the strongest swordsman in Shin Makoku. But the other soldiers who knew about Conrad's strength were very worried about their commander's condition. They asked him to take a break for the day. Yuuri specifically went to him and asked him to get some rest in their room. Looking regretful about the mess he had just caused, Conrad complied. On his way back to their shared room, Conrad almost tripped over the carpet two times, and nearly knocked down a random vase three times. He had broken Yuuri's own record of clumsiness.

Seeing Conrad's worsened condition, Yuuri requested the kitchen to send Conrad's lunch to his room. Two minutes after having his first bite, a maid came running to him and reported that Conrad had knocked his tray over and had insisted having lunch in the dining room while the bed was being cleaned.

Everyone moaned at the breaking news, some obviously, some mentally.

A moment later, Conrad was there among them. He still looked a bit dazed, but his appearance definitely seemed better. After apologizing for the ruckus he had caused, he still created another one by knocking his glass over and drenching Gwendal's lap.

Gwendal never blamed him, but Conrad looked quite depressed about his condition, and Yuuri was even worse. He was very sad to see Conrad's desperate expression. The others might have been wondering what was happening with the man, but Yuuri had an idea of what it was, and felt guilty for being the cause of Conrad's condition.

"Listen, Conrad." Yuuri spoke very carefully, as if he was trying to tell a three-year-old how dangerous to climb a chair was. "I apologize for making you think that something happened last night."

Conrad didn't answer. His eyes were screaming out his confusion.

"Actually, nothing happened. When I returned, you were already sprawled naked in bed. All I did was place a blanket on you before going to sleep, and…" The king took another deep breath before resuming his statement, "I wish I knew why you stripped… But… well, at least I can tell you that nothing has happened. Once more, I'm sorry."

The explanation sounded clear enough, but the man still looked as confused as before. He even looked more, and more puzzled after Yuuri left him alone in the room.

Touching the soft mattress beneath him, Conrad quickly noticed that they had gotten the bed sheet replaced.

His body felt so exhausted; the same thing applied to his mind, but strangely… he had a feeling that he shouldn't sleep at the moment.

XXX

That night, long after exchanging 'good night' with Conrad, Yuuri's eyes snapped back open. His fairy had been waiting beside him and gave him a signal that their route was clear.

Conrad was actually not in the room at the time. A moment before, he had excused himself to leave to pack some of his things in his own room. That made Yuuri's plan even better. Yuuri wasn't sure that he could fool Conrad, of all people. The man seemed to always be able to see through him.

"Everyone's not asleep yet. It's the best time to show them that you've been sleepwalking." Murata told him, "Remember our practice today. Close your eyes while walking. I will guide your way."

Yuuri nodded.

XXX

Conrad had been standing in front of the room for several minutes, hesitating on whether he should enter or not. Every time he felt the coldness of the doorknob, he would retreat and take another deep breath, before trying again, over and over. He had been standing there for fifteen minutes now. Nothing had changed. And he had felt really, really stupid for not being able to make a move.

When the doorknob suddenly moved on its own, Conrad was almost convinced that Shin Maou had been fed up with his indecision and had decided to help him with the job.

But then, an unexpected person came out from the room. Conrad could only gape in his place, staring at the scene disbelievingly.

"…Yuuri?"

His voice was ignored. The king, still with his eyes closed, slowly made his way out of the room, to the long corridor, which connected the place to the backyard.

Conrad was momentarily paralyzed, trying to comprehend what was happening. Then it came to his mind that Yuuri's safety was number one priority. Looking at the way he unsteadily walked, Conrad was sure that Yuuri was not conscious of what he was doing.

"Yuu--- Your Majesty!" He called again as he ran to him. But every time he almost reached Yuuri, an invisible _kekkai_ would get in his way and send him a few feet backwards.

After his tenth try, Conrad was desperate, but he wasn't planning to give up. There was no finale point in protecting his king, not until he was dead.

XXX

"He's still following us." Murata told the sweating king beside him, who was still trying to keep up the act, "So stubborn. If he reaches you, our plan will definitely be ruined."

"Do something," Yuuri whispered, still closing his eyes. "Conrad is not someone who's going to give up at the threat of violence on his person. Try something gentler."

"Like a pat on his head?"

"Anything!"

The fairy inhaled deeply as the man stubbornly strove forward. This time, he decided not to use the _kekkai_.

"Keep sleeping no matter what. He'll give it up sooner or later."

"Just when exactly is 'sooner or later'!" The king didn't have much time to complain. Soon, Conrad was a step ahead of him. Yuuri could hardly hold back a yelp as he felt his strong grasps on his shoulders.

"Yuuri! Wake up! What's happening with you?"

Yuuri tried to look calm. It was sooooo hard to keep 'sleeping' when someone was yelling in your ear; especially when that someone was the one who could make your heart pound three times faster just by his presence alone.

"Yuuri!" Conrad tried again, gripping on the king's arm rough enough that it hurt. "Yuuri, please talk to me!"

Murata knew that the king must have been very troubled at the time. But there was always plan B in his 'evil plot book'. And as he had foretold, people were soon gathering outside due to the noise Conrad was making. Soon, all the people they needed as witnesses would be assembled.

Yuuri took a deep, relieved breath as he felt Murata's hand on his shoulder, which signaled him to stop the charade. He opened his eyes and saw the concerned face of his fiancé. As he looked around, he could also see the rest of his "family". Wolfram, who still looked sleepy, Gwendal who was still holding onto his handmade teddy-bear doll, Gunter, whose hands were clamped together in 'praying mode', Cheri, who was holding a bucket of water, and Anissina, still in her lab coat, who was holding a screwdriver in one of her hands. Murata held back the urge to get his digital camera.

"…Uh… what's happening here?" It was the line he had practiced numerous times, but it was still hard to get the right tone.

"You were sleepwalking." Conrad's consideration had never disappointed him. "I was so worried. Can't you remember how you walked out of the room?"

"Sleepwalking?" Gwendal raised an eyebrow, "…When did it start?"

Yuuri shook his head in confusion, "I'm sure that I was sleeping in my room."

"I guess the pre-marriage pressure is getting to him." Cheri looked relieved, "It explains what we heard on the footage too."

"What footage?" Yuuri and Conrad spoke at the same time.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow." Gunter also looked happy, "For now, Conrad, please lock the door and watch over His Majesty to make sure that he won't get out again. We'll treat this problem tomorrow."

"…Can I go back to my room now…?" Wolfram yawned.

XXX

There was only silence in Yuuri and Conrad's way back to their room. Yuuri tried to think of something, but nothing came to his mind. Conrad also seemed to be in a quiet mood at the time. His face had calmed down, but he still looked very troubled.

"I'm sorry… for today. For making you worried." Yuuri tried, although Conrad's sad expression made him feel really bad. "I… I'm just nervous… it's getting closer to our marriage, and I… well… you know…"

"…Getting married to you…" Conrad suddenly muttered, "…I couldn't even imagine it before…"

"Huh?"

The man looked down to him and smiled, "…Thank you, Yuuri. For having someone like me around."

Yuuri was glad that the place was dark enough to hide the flaming blush on his cheeks; although it was also quiet enough that he was so afraid that Conrad might be able to hear the pounding sound coming from the inside of his chest. He replied the sincere words with a kiss. It was probably the very first kiss he had ever attempted on his own.

As he watched Conrad's gaping expression after he released him, Yuuri made a mental note to do it more often.

"By the way, did I show this to you yet?" Yuuri pulled the necklace out of his pocket. He hadn't put it on yet. "I've made it a necklace. It looks exactly the same as the previous one, don't you…"

Yuuri yelped as the seal between the pendant and the necklace fell apart. The pendant rolled, fell, and landed right next to Conrad's right foot.

"Let me get that for you." The brunet smiled as he bent down to reach the jewel. Then something strange happened. The jewel suddenly moved and rolled again further on the floor, as if it was trying to avoid Conrad's hand.

Conrad followed it and tried to reach it again. And once more, it rolled away from him.

"What's wrong?" Yuuri glanced at the scene in confusion.

"Maybe he's just too nervous before your first night together." Murata commented cheerfully from behind.

Yuuri flushed, "We're not going to do it."

"Nothing gets in your way tonight. You'll have no reason to refuse." The fairy teased him.

Yuuri opened his mouth to protest, but he was stopped by Murata's sudden, tense expression.

"What…"

"Shibuya, stop him!" Murata suddenly exclaimed, "Stop him right now!"

"But, why…"

"The hole!" The fairy clarified impatiently, "It's luring him to its place!"

XXX

Conrad had never encountered such a stubborn pendant before. Every time he almost reached it, it would dodge him and roll ever further (and pendants aren't supposed to roll like a ball!). He kept chasing it, but it was almost as agile as a hamster.

As the pendant finally stopped by the wall, Conrad sighed in relief and approached it quickly. He was unaware of the floating tennis-ball-sized black hole that had been waiting for him above the pendant.

Yuuri tried to yell and warn him, but his voice sounded so distant. All he had in his mind was retrieving the pendant for his king.

XXX

"Holes aren't supposed to swallow a non-owner character in a dream, right!" Yuuri demanded as he ran with all of his might to Conrad's place. Unfortunately, the sore feeling from his morning exercise was making him stiff still.

"I don't know," was all Murata could muster out, "…I really have no idea what's happening now. Even fairies are helpless against the holes."

Yuuri bit his bottom lip and raised his speed. Conrad was actually not very far from his place, but a millisecond was going to determine his fate. As the brunet's figure became closer and closer, Yuuri could hardly feel a thing. Murata had told him to pull Conrad away to save both of them, but he had a much more practical, less time-consuming solution in his mind. He'd push him away, even if it would place him in the dangerous situation instead.

Although Murata had also warned him about the hole's ability to recognize owners and capture them with its magnetic force, Yuuri was surprised to think that he didn't care about it at all. As long as he could save Conrad, he would never regret the Russian roulette. Although it was thin, there was still a chance to win. And he had always believed that he had better luck than most others. Gambling wasn't a big deal… right?

Yuuri closed his eyes and held his breath as he felt the warmth of Conrad's body with his hands as he forcefully pushed him away.

Then the world around him spun, and everything went black.

XXX

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

HEELS OVER HEAD

Chapter Thirteen

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **ProudSnapist **a.k.a** Sherlockian Slytherin**

Alternate Universe. No spoilers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

The progress of being transported from the dream world to the hole of no return's world was much less pleasant. They could have at least attempted something nicer than treating other people like junk. There were surely more than a hundred and one ways to transport someone other than vacuuming them!

Yuuri didn't lose his consciousness as he felt a strong force sucking him in to the black hole. The howling wind deafened his ears. He tried to open his eyes, but he could see nothing but the pitch- black darkness around him.

A moment later, everything calmed back down. But it was not really the right time for Yuuri to be relieved, since his eyes were still not functioning at all in the night-encompassed world.

Yuuri wasn't exactly worried about what was going to happen to him in the 'middle of nowhere'. What he was feeling at the moment was closer to 'confused' than 'scared'. People might feel proud for being able to travel to various famous international vacation spots, but he might have been the only one in his class---no, in his school, who had ever experienced a trip to the world of the hole of no return! Surely, it was a travel of a lifetime!

The king immediately felt very stupid for his own thoughts.

After waiting for a moment and feeling nothing else but the emptiness around him, Yuuri tried to stand up. He couldn't feel the floor under his feet, but he managed to.

Yes, there was nothing he could brag to his friends about in this place (for sanity's sake; there wasn't even a floor to step on, a wall to place an autograph on or any souvenir markets!). And he started to feel even stupider for being so excited in the first place.

"Took me long enough to capture you."

Yuuri blinked as he heard the very familiar voice.

"But you're not getting away this time. Nobody is going to be able to save you. Not even my dear fairy brother."

From a distance, Yuuri could see a red-colored glow. Slowly, the glow enlarged. The room suddenly turned from hell to heaven. The darkness faded, replaced by Yuuri's favorite color: sky blue. It almost felt like he was floating in the air.

"Where are you looking at? I'm trying to talk to you!"

Yuuri's attention drifted from the astonishing change in atmosphere to the human-sized creature in front of him.

The living thing in front of him resembled a normal human, but didn't really look so. Aside from his black-black suits, he also had fiery red eyes, neat short golden hair and a typical pair of graceful devil's wings. And his scornful face; it was the face he had known for a long time. Yuuri started to think that someone up there might be doing this especially to see his bewildered expression.

"…After Murata, and now Wolfram?" He muttered to himself. But it seemed that the creature had overheard him.

"Don't call me with your acquaintance's name! I'm not him!" The devil snapped, "It's your fault that I look like this! You subconsciously think that he's the one who resembles me the most so you've given me his figure!"

Yuuri held back an urge to laugh, "You'd make a more reasonable brother for him than Conrad or Gwendal."

'Wolfram' glared at him angrily, "If you don't stop with the jokes right now, I'm going to send you straight to hell!"

The king only sighed and nodded. He knew that he was supposed to be really worried. There he was, in a strange, unknown world inside the vicious hole of no return, and there stood a bishounen devil in front of him, whose temper was as short as Wolfram's.

"I'll be quiet. But can I just call you Wolfram? Of course I can also call you '_Oni_-san', or '_Akuma_-san' or '_Kuro_-san'. Well, you pick." **(Oni: devil, Akuma: evil spirit, Kuro: black an infamous name for a cat.)**

"…Wolfram will be fine."

"Okay."

Wolfram coughed and folded his arms. Not only were his face and figure like the real Wolfram, but his attitude and posture also belonged to the arrogant blond. Just like how he felt about Murata, Yuuri didn't feel that he was facing another fairytale creature.

"You're now inside the hole of no return. I will be the one to judge whether you'll be going back to life, or…" He never resumed his statement, but the smirk he had on his face made Yuuri feel really bad about it. "And I have to also warn you that this is no longer the dream world, so forget the boring rules my big brother told you."

"Big brother?" Yuuri blinked, "…You mean, Murata?"

"Whatever name you gave him," Wolfram snorted, "He's my annoying big brother who wouldn't stop telling me what to do."

"Doesn't it mean that he cares a lot about you?"

"Are you kidding me?" The devil hissed, "You mean treating me like a kid all the time is a sign of affection? For Lucifer's sake, I am five-hundred-year old! Just because he's born two hundred years earlier, he thinks he knows what's best for me!"

The raven-haired boy couldn't hold back his smile. Wolfram really had to meet this guy to see how annoying he really was.

"Well, aside from constantly playing with those evil, noisy dolls… drugging and stripping someone onto my bed… and making me do ridiculously old magic tricks in front of everyone at dinnertime… I don't think he's a bad big brother."

"You don't know him!" Wolfram looked really emotional. Well, he it wasn't like he had been showing any prudence since the first time Yuuri had met him, but he was getting even worse.

"But… we're not going to talk about him right now." He suddenly regained his composure and inhaled again, deeply. "As I have said, I'm here to determine your fate. So you'd better not provoke me."

"Sure. I understand." Yuuri nodded.

XXX

Yuuri was soon taken to another place that Wolfram called the 'room of choices', but he saw no difference between this place from the other. It was still the same blue nothingness everywhere.

"Here is the place where I get to know you better. If I think you're nice enough to go back to life, then I'll let you off the hook." Wolfram's voice sounded nice enough, "…But I'm warning you, I'm quite strict about the definition of 'nice'." Nice seemed to take a nose-dive towards bitter at the end there, thought Yuuri as he sweatdropped.

The king could only nod.

"Sit down."

Yuuri was about to complain about the lack of chairs, but as he turned to his back, a cushioned chair had been set for him. And when he turned back to his front, Wolfram was sitting on his own chair, wearing his glasses and flipping his book open.

"I told you to sit down." He repeated, sounding impatient.

The king quickly did as was told.

"Try to relax and be honest while answering me." The devil cleared his throat, "I'm going to start with the most basic questions. Remember to be HONEST."

"You don't have to keep reminding me! Even without you telling me to, I'll always be honest!" Yuuri was offended at the way the devil kept on emphasizing the word 'honest', "Go ahead and ask anything you want! I'll answer ten of them before you blink once!"

"Pretty confident, aren't you." Wolfram smirked, "First question, when you climb down the bed in the morning shortly after waking up, do you usually use your left or right leg first?"

Yuuri was struck speechless.

"...What?"

"I blinked once already."

"But..." The king tried to fight back, "That kind of question is unreasonable..."

"_I _am the judge._ I_ decide your fate, and the questions that are being used in this lovely occasion are the means to decide your fate." Wolfram glared at him alarmingly, "Answering it or not is your choice. And soon, I have to make my choice too."

Yuuri bit his bottom lip, trying to suppress his anger.

"Don't make it difficult for both of us. The sooner you answer, the sooner I make my decision and the less time we'll waste. Please sit back down now."

Although it was still hard for him to accept the policy, he managed to calm down and keep his head cool. Whether he liked it or not, Wolfram was the one in charge at the moment.

"Left... I think." He replied after inhaling deeply.

Wolfram nodded and made a soft hmm-ing sound before going on with the next question... which was just as random and illogical as the first one.

"There are times when sloppiness takes over and makes you the most foolish person. What do you usually say when you trip over something and fall down?"

"...Ouch... maybe."

"You sure you don't curse?"

"Pretty sure. People around me are quite courteous with their attitudes and words."

"Next, what do you think about the people who like to eat _natto_?"

"...Do you eat _natto_ in this place?"

"Just answer the question!"

XXX

It felt like hours to Yuuri until Wolfram finally ended the ridiculous interview. After twenty questions, it was over. The last question was just as random and illogical as the rest, asking about what color teddy bear that he liked the most. Wolfram actually hadn't needed to push Yuuri to answer everything honestly, since honesty seemed to be the only way to answer all the questions.

"That's all. Now I'm going to announce the result."

Yuuri held his breath. He didn't know if he had answered all the questions well or not, but he was almost sure that the devil was going to kill him right away.

"You passed. I'll get you back to life in a moment."

"...What did you say?"

"I said, you passed. And I am going to send you back to the real world right away." Wolfram repeated calmly. "You have a problem with my final decision?"

"No! No! It's not like that! But..." Yuuri quickly answered, "I thought you were so eager to kick me down to hell."

"Why would I do that to someone I just met?" The not-so-devilish devil shrugged and smiled mockingly, "Someone has got an active imagination here."

Yuuri sighed in relief, "Because your brother was my guardian fairy, and you hate him immeasurably, I thought you'd use me to get even with him. Your brother also warned me sternly about how dangerous this place was. I just find it hard to believe that I survived the Russian roulette so easily."

"There's no bullet in the gun in the first place." Wolfram snorted as he stood up and produced a black staff in his right hand, "I have exterminated numerous souls before you. Consider yourself lucky that you had my brother as your guardian."

"You mean, you actually let me go for your brother?" Yuuri looked at him disbelievingly, "I thought you hated his guts."

Wolfram stepped forward and pointed his staff to the terrified boy, frowning.

"He likes you," the devil spoke, almost soundlessly, "I've never seen him as happy as when he's with you. He was truly happy during your time together. I almost thought that he wanted to replace me with you. That's plain annoying."

Yuuri held his breath as the edge of the staff started to glow bright red.

"I really wanted to capture you and chase you away. But if I kill you, he would never forgive me. But I had planned to keep you alive in the first place. The interview was just a procedure that had to be held."

The glow felt comfortably warm on Yuuri's cold skin. The king slowly closed his eyes as his consciousness started to fade away.

"I hope I won't have to see you again in this horrible place… wimp."

XXX

When Yuuri slowly came to his senses, he felt like he had slept for years. Feeling nothing but the severe numbness throughout his whole body, he tried to open his eyes; which actually took more effort than he had expected.

Before his vision was completely returned to him, he could hear the delighted voices of his friends. The first voice was Gunter's. The man seemed to be the first one who noticed his wakefulness, and was eagerly calling the others to witness it too. The next was Wolfram, who seemed to reach his bed faster than anybody else. Yuuri couldn't exactly comprehend what he was trying to say, but as usual, his every statement would always have the 'stupid wimp' factor in it; whether it was said implicitly or explicitly.

The next voice he heard was Cheri's high-pitched squee, and Gwendal who was trying to make her speak quieter for the sake of the recovering patient. And last was Anissina's voice, informing everyone that Gisela was on her way.

Yuuri tried to speak as he saw the relieved faces of his friends, but all he could muster out was a cough; followed by a series of its kind. He felt so weak, yet so curious about the missing member in the family.

"…Where's Conrad?" He finally managed out, ignoring Wolfram's advice not to talk before his throat felt better. It was the best decision, since he didn't think that he would feel better until he knew that Conrad was alright.

"He's in his room." Gwendal replied, "You don't have to worry about him. Your health takes first priority. Get some rest now."

Yuuri started to get really annoyed. They should be able to understand that he would not be able to rest unless they gave him more detailed information about Conrad!

"I want to see him right now," he exclaimed, frowning.

"You can't." Gwendal quickly responded.

Before Yuuri could gather enough energy to yell, Cheri stepped forward.

"You have just woken up from a long sleep. You're quite unstable at this moment. Gwendal might have said some exasperating things, but sadly, he's right." The ex-Maou's gentle words stopped Yuuri from yelling, but it didn't make him feel better.

"Gisela has arrived." Anissina informed the occupants of the room.

Cheri looked relieved at the presence of the infamous doctor. "First, let's get Gisela to examine you, then I'll come back here to answer anything you want to know. Is that okay?"

Yuuri remained silent. Cheri took it as a 'yes'.

XXX

"It's surprising that you remembered about my son right after waking up." Cheri calmly remarked as she sat down on the chair next to the sullen king. "Usually that sort of thing takes more time to recall."

"…I've been so worried about him… even in my sleep, I keep asking if he's okay… I guess." Yuuri replied with a heavy sigh.

"That's just so sweet," the gorgeous blonde chuckled as she fondled Yuuri's limp hand gently. Her cold fingers felt so soothing on his warm skin. "If you're wondering if he's still alive or not after the extreme stunt he pulled to save you… the answer is yes."

Yuuri looked up at her, "You're telling me the truth?"

"Shin Maou would want me to speak the truth." Cheri smiled, "He was severely injured, but we were able to save both of you in time."

"Then why hasn't he come to see me?" Even to his own mother, Yuuri had never spoken in such a childlike tone. He had always wanted to be acknowledged as a mature man who was able to survive without a mother pampering him, but at the moment, he had come to realize that… being pampered wasn't so bad.

"Gwendal told you that the two of you couldn't see each other at this moment and he's right." Cheri inhaled deeply, "Because my son… he's still in the same condition as you were before…"

Time stopped for Yuuri at that moment as he tried to grasp that fact.

"…Same condition as mine… You mean…"

"Actually, he looked okay at first. Unlike you, he came to consciousness not long after he was taken back here." Cheri explained, "He was so worried about you. We were able to convince him that you're going to be okay, but when he found out that you had been unconscious for more than two days, he refused to take any proper rest and insisted on staying by your side to watch over you."

"It worsened his condition. He collapsed this morning, and hasn't come to consciousness since then."

XXX

If it had taken a total of five days and four nights for Yuuri to regain his consciousness, Conrad needed a full week to finally wake up from his deep, long slumber. The castle sounded like it was having a harvest festival when Anissina broadcasted the news through her handmade loudspeaker. The information was quickly spread all over Shin Makoku. Everyone was celebrating for Conrad's recovery.

Aside from the happy news, another rumor could also be heard among the maids. One of the maids who had stayed in Conrad's room at the time claimed that she had seen the most emotional reunion between the Maou and their infamously handsome commander.

"He was hugging him!" She pressed, "Can you imagine that? Sir Wolfram was in the same room, and His Majesty intimately hugged his brother! He looked so hurt!"

"His Majesty often hugs Sir Gunter too. And sometimes Lady Cheri." One of her friends, who hadn't watched the scene herself, commented. "Sir Wolfram has no problem with that."

"But have you ever seen him attempting the hug himself? Have you ever seen him running with glassy eyes in to someone else's arms? I bet you haven't!" The maid who had been present to witness the occasion looked very excited. "They skipped any conversation, and just held each other close and felt each other's heartbeat to replace their words. Don't you think it's so romantic?"

"You're exaggerating." A maid coughed, "I don't believe that His Majesty would ever betray his own fiancé."

"The engagement was accidental in itself!" Another maid who seemed to support ConYuu (just like us XP) remarked, "His Majesty seems to like to hang around with Sir Conrad better. They often talk about things that we don't understand. Things from that 'other world'."

"It's true, but still, His Majesty hasn't taken the proposal back. It means that he also feels something for Sir Wolfram."

"No! No! It's not like that! Sir Wolfram is the one who refuses it because he loves His Majesty! His Majesty cares about his feelings. That's why he hasn't taken it back."

"Sir Conrad has never made any move even though they spend so much time together. I doubt that he has feelings for His Majesty. Unlike Sir Wolfram who expresses it quite obviously."

"Sir Conrad cares about his brother's engagement. It's the only thing he could do to respect it. He won't make a move until His Majesty takes the proposal back."

"Nonsense! He…"

"Stop it, all of you!" The senior maid was starting to get annoyed by the heated argument, "We're not in a MaruMa fan-girls community at this moment! So stop arguing who'd make a better _seme_ (Or _uke_ -laughs-) for His Majesty!"

All the maids stopped talking, pouting in disappointment that they couldn't determine whose idea was the winner at the time.

"If there's anyone who should be concerned about this, I assure you that it's not one of you." The maid stated, "His Majesty should think about it himself, and decide who is better for him."

XXX

"ACHOO! ACHOO!"

"Are you okay?"

"Uh… yeah. I'm fine. Someone's talking about me, I guess."

Two weeks had passed. Although he had regained his consciousness, Conrad's body was still weak. His injuries were more severe than Yuuri's, since he had been using his body to shield the king the entire time during the accident. While Yuuri's injuries had almost completely recovered, Conrad still had a long way to go, with an extended period of health examinations and bitter medicines.

"If the foolhardy myth is really true, then you will not stop sneezing for the whole day, stupid wimp."

Wolfram, who had been sitting next to Yuuri all the time, was not pleased. Whenever Conrad and Yuuri had a conversation, he felt that he was easily forgotten, since he didn't understand what they were talking about. The blond made a mental note to learn more about the weird sport that had become the main topic of their conversations later.

"I know that. I never take it seriously." Yuuri looked offended.

"I heard that sneezing one time means that someone talks bad about you, and two times means the opposite." Conrad cheerfully remarked. "His Majesty just sneezed two times. Doesn't it mean a good thing?"

"Really?" Yuuri's face beamed again, "Then, somebody is talking---ACHOO!"

Wolfram snickered, "…So, what does three times mean?"

Conrad chuckled in response, "It means that His Majesty has caught a cold and should return to his room now."

"Eeh! No way!" Yuuri protested, "Are you shooing me away?"

"It was never my intention, Your Majesty. But you should get more rest." The brunet reasoned calmly, "I have to get some sleep too."

"But…"

"Come on, wimp. Let's get back to your room." Wolfram looked annoyed at Yuuri's persistence at staying by his brother's side, "You made a deal with Brother Gwendal to return to your room whenever he tells you to, right?"

Yuuri was still pouting, "I'll come back soon."

"It has been a pleasure to have you visit, Your Majesty."

Conrad had to hold his breath as the king threw him a sweet smile before walking out of the room, "Get better soon, _Nazukeoya_."

XXX

Wolfram noticed that Yuuri looked a great deal happier than usual. He was even humming the tune he had just learned a few days ago from his mother's piano recital. He had been humming that tune a lot lately. Wolfram really hoped that it was just a coincidence, since…

"A few weeks ago we were still mourning about the accident that had happened to our king, and my beloved son." Cheri had announced at the opening of her performance, "Today, they are all here with us, healthy and happy. I'm here to celebrate it with all of you, the people who I love."

Not many people in the castle had known about Cheri's musical talent, so most of them had gathered to provide evidence of the rumor that the lady had been one of the most talented piano players in the whole nation.

"This song is dedicated to my son who has just returned from his deep slumber. I'm hoping that he had a nice dream, since he slept for such a long time," Cheri had placed her fingers on the large, classic, elegant-looking musical instrument, "It's called… 'Dreamy Brunet'."

The blond stole a glance at the cheerful boy beside him again. Yuuri was still humming the refrain of the newly composed song.

Repressing the bad feeling he had been holding in his chest, Wolfram decided to strike a conversation with Yuuri. He thought that it would help him get rid of his bad thoughts.

"Do you like 'Raven Warrior'?" He asked, looking hopeful.

"Raven… what?" Yuuri looked at him in confusion.

"That's the song my mother made specially composed for you," Wolfram frowned, "How could you be humming my brother's song all the time and not remember the title of your own song?"

The king only laughed lightly. He seemed to be in a really good mood.

"Your mother is a great composer. And 'Dreamy Brunet' is my very favorite. It sounds… well, while I'm listening to it, I can easily imagine Conrad and all the things we have done together until now. It's just… so him." Yuuri replied, looking quite oblivious, "I'm thinking of making lyrics for that song. That's why I have been humming it a lot. I never knew that it was this hard to write something. But I'm doing my best. I hope Conrad will like it."

Wolfram was not satisfied with the answer, but the king's relaxed face and easy words made him feel a bit relieved. Normally, people who were in love wouldn't be able to talk so freely about the one they liked in public. So he guessed… he had been worrying about nothing at all.

"You shouldn't have bothered."

"Oh, no. It's okay. I've been slacking off a lot lately. I have plenty of time to think it o…"

Yuuri turned to his side and gaped. The puzzled blond turned to the same direction to see what was it that had made the king's face look so funny. And he saw a maid, who was trying to balance a tall, tall stack of wigs in the box she was carrying.

It didn't take a famous prophet to foretell the next event. The small girl finally gave up on her steadiness and fell flat down on the floor, face first. While the wigs she had in the box went flying all around the place, a lot of them landed on various weird spots.

Yuuri quickly approached and helped the poor girl stand up. He even offered to collect the scattered wigs for her, but she strongly disagreed with the idea of letting her king do her chores. As stubborn as ever, Yuuri insisted and finally managed to convince her to accept the favor.

Wolfram was not pleased with Yuuri's over-friendliness with the maid girl, so he purposely stayed in his place without doing anything to help.

When Yuuri suddenly turned and stared at him, he could feel his face flaming in embarrassment. The king didn't look angry at all that he had refused to lend a hand, so Wolfram wondered what had made Yuuri look so him so intensely.

"Wolfram."

"Y---Yes?"

The blond held his breath nervously as his fiancé got on his feet and approached him, still wearing the same look.

"You…"

Wolfram closed his eyes as the king closed the gap between their faces.

"…Have this on your head."

"Huh?"

He opened his eyes again to see Yuuri who was smiling cheerfully while holding on a long, blond wig.

"This one landed on your head. How could you not feel it?" The king chuckled merrily as he examined the wig carefully. "This one is really well-made. It also has the same color as your hair."

"Yeah, I guess so," Wolfram tried to not sound too disappointed, "Let's go back to your room now. Let the maid take care of this mess."

"Actually I was just about to tell you that. Since I have been feeling a bit dizzy." Yuuri handed the wig over to the maid and apologized to her for not being able to help more. Wolfram watched him in silence and waited. It actually took longer than he had expected for Yuuri to finish his words of apology. He both hated and loved the king for that overdosed kindness of his.

"I'm done. Let's go back now," Yuuri finally left the maid and turned back to him.

Wolfram nodded, waited until Yuuri reached him, and then started to walk again. It didn't take him very long to notice that the king had been staring at him, again. But he wasn't going to expect a lot this time.

"Do I have another wig on my head?" He asked, frowning.

"No," Yuuri replied lightly, "After seeing you in the wig, I just… think…"

"What?" Wolfram looked at him in confusion.

The raven-haired boy smiled and brought a hand up to brush Wolfram's soft hair, "…I think you'll look good with long hair."

Wolfram's sullen silence reaction reminded Yuuri about how upset the boy could become whenever he mentioned about letting his hair grow. He was about to apologize when the blond suddenly turned around and walked away.

_Oh no. He's mad at me, again._ Yuuri mentally moaned, blaming himself for being so insensitive. He quickly followed Wolfram and walked behind him while trying to figure out a neutral topic to talk about to cool the situation down.

"H---Hey, about the lyric…" He said, "Why don't we write it together? I'll include your name later."

A smile appeared on Wolfram's face, after a long while.

"…Okay."

XXX

"Hey, how are you, half-dead man?" Yozak entered Conrad's room without bothering to knock. Setting the courtesy aside, he just grabbed a chair and sat down casually. "What is it about today? Or did you actually summon me because you missed me?"

Conrad looked hesitant, but he finally managed to let the question out, "Do you happen to have… a pink ballerina outfit among your woman disguises?"

Yozak made a face before shaking his head negatively. Conrad couldn't hide his relieved expression at the response.

"You know what I'm thinking about? Maybe the crash has really messed up some of your memory, Commander. But I believe that you're still sane enough not to think of borrowing any of the costumes." Yozak laughed lightheartedly, "If I get myself a new one, be sure that you'll always be the first person I seduce with it. Rest assured."

Conrad tried to look sincere when he smiled.

"I called you because I wanted you to tell me everything that has happened while I was asleep."

"I see," Yozak seemed to be expecting this and was prepared, "Well, the first big thing that happened after you passed out; His Majesty suddenly woke up."

The brunet nodded, "I know that, but…"

"No, no, no, you don't know a thing. You were asleep, remember?" Yozak made a mocking sound and rested his back on the chair, smiling victoriously, "Have you heard the story in a more detailed version?"

Conrad frowned, "Can you tell me a detailed version?"

"Do you know that His Majesty's very first remark after waking up was 'Where's my Conrad-kun?'. Don't you find it touching? Even in his sleep he's still thinking about you."

Conrad looked slightly taken aback, but showed no other expression, "Thanks for telling me that. I deserve punishment for making him worried."

"Oh man! Don't be so uptight!" Yozak seemed annoyed, "You _can_ look a little happier."

The brunet inhaled again, turned his face away and remained silent. He could probably fool other people, but never Yozak. Having been dealing with his commander's poker face for years, even if the signs were very slight, he could still tell that the man was actually happy to know about Yuuri's concern.

"You know, lately I've been noticing something strange with the boy."

Conrad gave him another stern look, but Yozak ignored it. He had more important issues on his mind other than thinking about how to call his lad king in a more respectful way.

"A few days ago, I saw him in the library. You know, I've never seen him going to that place before, especially since he couldn't read our letterings well. So I got curious and I approached him to find that he had fallen asleep. Guess what book he used as his pillow."

"'Ten Steps to Easy Gardening'! He's learning how to become a gardener! Can you imagine that? A king who's interested in becoming a gardener?"

Conrad also looked bewildered, "Are you sure about that?"

"I reread the title five times to make sure that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me."

"That is indeed strange. I'll try to ask him later." Conrad made a thinking face, "His Majesty has never told me anything about it… I've never seen him take any interest in that field before."

"He sure is interested in _fields_." Yozak shrugged, "And there's more."

Now the brunet really seemed ready to listen to his friend's words. He had never expected Yozak to have more knowledge about Yuuri than him.

"I've seen him once down the basement. He said that he wanted to develop it."

"What?" Conrad widened his eyes. First gardening, and now he wanted to build the basement up? Those two things didn't seem to be connected, or even too far apart! When had it become so hard for him to read his king's transparent mind?

"I asked him why he wanted to do it, but he said that he didn't know. He just had a feeling that it would be necessary for later days. I've seen the building plan, and it's unnecessarily huge." Yozak enjoyed the rare puzzled expression on his commander's face. The king was probably the only one who could make that face possible. "What do you think about it? Can you explain his weird behavior?"

Conrad hated to admit his ignorance, but he did anyway, shaking his head to the smirking redhead.

"But I don't think it's anything life-threateningly important. Neither gardening or building the basement will endanger him. Maybe he's just developing new interests."

Yozak hadn't wiped the victorious sneer off his face, making Conrad feel a bit wary.

"How about this, the third change I noticed so far."

Conrad didn't answer, but his eyes were quite demanding.

"He asked me to recheck the necklace you gave him and to make sure that it wouldn't break off."

Yuuri should really change more to make Yozak happier.

"I kept it for years, and it has never…"

"I know. I told him about that too. But he insisted on getting it strengthened." Yozak cut in, "He seemed so afraid that he might lose it. Don't you think it's a good sign?"

Conrad stayed silent for a while. Actually, he was more confused than happy at the news. He had just slept for a week, and there were already so many questions about Yuuri that he couldn't answer. Three things that Yozak had noticed: Yuuri's sudden interest in gardening, his sudden desire to have a huge basement for no coherent reason, and the unreasonable concern about the necklace suddenly breaking off and being lost. None of them sounded particularly significant to him, but still, they were also changes he hadn't been able to predict.

_Yuuri… what are you thinking?_

"Good afternoon, Conrad! It's suppertime!"

Yuuri's cheerful voice snapped both of the men out of their deep thoughts. Yozak quickly stood up, and Conrad wiped his frown off his face, wearing his usual smile. His king deserved the best from him.

Yuuri entered the room with a tray of food, instantly spreading an air of cheerfulness and vitality to every corner of the cold, vast room.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty. You shouldn't have bothered."

"It's nothing. I'm just trying to help." The king replied easily as he set the tray on Conrad's lap and sat on the chair Yozak had left before, "But are you sure you like your food?"

Conrad looked down to his tray and saw a plate of neatly sliced fruit. It didn't take him long to recall its name, and its magic.

"What is it? You don't like this?" He asked.

"One of the gardeners I visited gave it to me a few days ago. It's bitter!" Yuuri complained, "I told the kitchen to prepare something else for you, but they said that this fruit was your favorite and that you always ate it when you were not feeling well."

The brunet chuckled. The king had probably tasted the wrong fruit. There were two types of _Yen_ _Berry:_ the white, and the yellow one. The white one tasted sweet and comforting, while the yellow one was the complete opposite of it. The two types grew on the same tree, and looked alike on the surface, that even the most skilled gardener could be mistaken.

"Your Majesty, it's not the same. This…"

"WIMP!"

Wolfram's voice echoed, followed by the loud sound of a slammed door.

"Just how long do you intend to leave me outside with those flower seeds!"

"Oh," Yuuri blinked in realization and turned to the enraged blond with an oblivious smile, "Sorry. I was delivering Conrad's supper, and I sort of lost track of time …"

"No more excuses! Just hurry! It's getting dark!"

"Okay, I'll be right over."

Wolfram exited the room, still looking annoyed.

Conrad threw Yuuri a questioning look. So the king really had started an interest in gardening.

"Sorry, I have to go now. I have to take care of the new garden before it gets dark." Yuuri stood up, giving Conrad an apologetic look.

"It's okay." Conrad smiled reassuringly, "You seem to be having so much fun. Do you like gardening?"

"Uh well… I know that you might find it strange but…" Yuuri replied sheepishly, "I kind of… have an obsession to build a garden outside of my room, so when I wake up in the morning, I'll be able to see it through my window (I plan to get it enlarged too). You know, it's plain ground right now, but in several months, I'm sure that it will become a stunning flower field."

The brunet looked astonished, "I wish I could help…"

"You can wait until you're fully-recovered to get to the field. For now, you can just help me with any theories." Yuuri remarked with a smile, "I'm really no good at this. I tried browsing through some books in the library, but I can't read well. So maybe I'll occasionally ask about the things I don't understand. Is that okay?"

Conrad nodded.

XXX

Yozak stepped forward shortly after Yuuri left the room. Crossing his arms, he stepped close to Conrad's bed and feigned an annoyed sigh, "Do you think I'm getting thinner? Cause I assume that he didn't notice me at all because I've gotten too microscopic."

"He's just too preoccupied with his thoughts." Conrad reasoned as he took a bite of his favorite fruit. It was a pity that Yuuri had seemed to abhor it due to a misunderstanding.

"But that confirms our first suspicion, about the whole gardening thing." Yozak snatched a slice of the fruit from Conrad's plate and threw it in to his mouth, "I haven't eaten this for like, years. The taste hasn't changed at all."

The half-mazoku lifted up the tray and put it on the table beside him, giving Yozak silent permission to steal more and more slices.

"I want you to watch over His Majesty more intently while I'm recuperating. I'll release you from other duties."

Yozak nodded. He had expected that command ever since he had stepped in to the room.

"Anything else before I set out?"

Conrad shook his head.

"…Actually, on second thought… Yozak…"

"I know," the redhead waved a hand, not even bothering to turn around, "I have to get some books about gardening from the library, right? Because you actually know very little about it. Think about that before you make a promise next time, Commander. No matter how much you want to look reliable in front of that boy."

Conrad sighed, "Thank you for your hard work."

The morning after, Conrad received a message from Gwendal that Yuuri had been transferred back to his world.

XXX

Two weeks later…

Gunter, foregoing his usual grace and dignity, was running to the front door with all of his might. A moment ago, he had just heard from Gwendal that Yuuri was coming back. He wanted to wait for his beloved king in front of the gate and be the first person to give him a warm (or hot), long embrace.

_Oh, Your Majesty… Please wait for me, I'm almost there!_ He thought with a dramatic pose as he increased his speed and blew every unfortunate living thing he happened to pass by off.

When the silver-haired mazoku saw the familiar figure standing right on the spot he had intended to occupy at the front gate, his world cracked, so was his imagination of his melodramatic reunion with Yuuri.

"You're here to greet His Majesty too?" Conrad quickly noticed Gunter (and his flaming spirit) before considerately taking a few steps to his side. "He should be home in a moment. Let's wait together here.

"Yes!" Gunter happily occupied his longed spot.

In less than a minute, a soldier reported that their king had arrived.

Gunter was prepared with his arms stretched in welcome and a wide smile on his face as Yuuri, with Wolfram by his side, walked in. It would be the perfect theatrical reunion he had been dreaming of. The cute king in his arms, and…

"Conrad! What are you doing here? You're supposed to stay in bed! Wolfram said that you're still not allowed to go back to work!"

The legendary swordsman of Shin Makoku immediately opened his eyes and realized that Yuuri had approached Conrad instead of him, and was sassily scolding the man for getting out of bed.

Gunter looked at his pupil's happy face and felt a flaming jealousy in his chest. _Oh, I'd like His Majesty to reprimand me too! I want him to discipline me!_

So he closed his eyes again and waited for his turn.

"Now, get back to your room! And… oh, Gunter! Thank you for waiting for me. I'm glad that you came! Well, see you!"

But it never came.

By the time he opened his eyes, the place was dead silent. His dream king had disappeared.

Cold, swirling wind blew away some random dried leaves, along with the last piece of hope in the silver-haired mazoku's fragile heart.

Gunter fell on his knees along with the broken shards of his dream reunion.

XXX

"I'm always telling you to take care your own health more than anything, but you never listen." Yuuri was still grumbling as he helped Conrad pull up the blanket and reposition the pillows, "You didn't have to wait for me outside. You know that I would have come to visit you right after arriving here. Do you feel comfortable?"

Conrad sighed. Since a few days ago, he hadn't felt sick anymore. His injuries had also recovered. He thought that he could go back to his daily activities, but Gisela had _evilly_ told everybody that he had still needed bed rest for several more days.

"Your Majesty, I'm really okay now." He tried, although he knew that it would be to no avail.

"Gisela-san knows best when to let you out of bed." The king stubbornly remarked, "Stay here until… eh?"

Conrad turned his eyes to the boy, who looked taken aback by something on the floor near his bed. Then he followed his gaze and saw a photograph. He wasn't sure what photograph it was, but the object in it looked awfully familiar.

"This is…" Yuuri bent down to get the photograph, and stared at it for a long time, "…Have you invented the camera here?"

Conrad shook his head, "What picture is it?"

"Well…" The king kept staring at the photograph, "It's like… a box… with a vase… some flowers…"

Although he had actually seen a glimpse of the picture, it surprised Conrad that he was able to see the object in his mind so easily. It was like he had seen the real thing himself.

"It's so beautiful… where did you get this?" Yuuri asked as he handed the photograph over to the bewildered brunet.

"I… don't know…" Conrad became even more nervous as he realized that what he saw in the picture looked identical to the one he had had in his mind. His feeling was stronger than a mere déjavu. He became so sure that he had definitely seen the object himself, although he couldn't remember when, where and how.

"Strange, I feel like I've seen it before…" Yuuri commented lightly, "Did I accidentally take it with me from the other world? What do you think?"

Conrad managed to keep his cool and replied, "That's possible."

"Then, I'll give it to you." The king smiled, "Don't you like it too? Doesn't it give you some kind of… warm feeling?"

After Yuuri left, it took Conrad a little while to agree with his king's opinion.

XXX

"Hey, Shibuya!"

"Shibuya!"

"Shibuya, wake up!"

Yuuri's eyes fluttered at the familiar voice of his best friend. It took his brain a moment to become fully functional. As he lazily opened his eyes and sat up, he was enchanted by his surroundings. He was up in the blue sky, with cotton-white clouds floating around him and his bed.

While the boy was still trying to comprehend the whole situation, a golden glow appeared in front of him, which was soon forming a certain figure that he had known.

"Murata…" Yuuri glanced at the smiling boy in front of him in confusion, "What are you… where… just say something!"

"I'm so glad to see you again, Shibuya." Murata stepped forward and embraced him. Strangely, Yuuri didn't feel awkward with their closeness. Instead, it felt quite nice.

"Thank you for what you've done. My relationship with my stepbrother has gotten a lot better now. He has even agreed to move back into our house."

Yuuri looked even more confused than before, "What are you saying? Who? Your stepbrother? You have one?"

"Yes, I have one. A very cute one. He has even become more adorable than before, all thanks to you." Murata looked amused at the clueless reaction, "By the way, have you seen the photograph I sent Sir Conrad? Don't you think I'm pretty good at taking pictures?"

Although the situation was still very blurred to the king, Yuuri remembered about the picture, "Oh, that one under Conrad's bed? I've seen it. It turned out really good. Very beautiful."

"I knew you'd say so." Murata smiled widely, "By the way, I have a present for you. Well, it's actually forbidden in dream fairy world, but I have decided to take the risk for you, because you have reunited our family."

Yuuri carefully watched as the fairy pulled another photograph out of his pocket and showed it to him with a proud expression.

The king couldn't hold back a gasp as he saw it. It was a picture of him and Conrad: kissing!

"Another good shot, don't you think?" Murata calmly remarked, ignoring his ex-master who had seemed to lose any strength to keep his jaw closed. "I'm sorry for not asking for your permission to take this one, but I couldn't help it, since the two of you looked really cute together."

The fairy did a quick job attaching a red ribbon to the photo before handing it over to the currently immobilized king.

"There are a lot more of these pictures. Just tell me if you want more. Don't worry, I'll come to visit you in your sleep occasionally. If possible, I'd like to take my brother with me. Good night, and see you later."

XXX

Yuuri woke up drenched in sweat. He immediately sat up and looked around. It was his room. Nothing had changed. His bed wasn't floating in the air. He was right here, in the real world, safe and sound.

_What a creepy dream…_ He thought to himself with a relieved sigh, _it felt too real…_

Then suddenly he felt something in his hold. A photograph.

Yuuri could hear his own heart's loud pound.

_No way…_ He slowly brought the picture up with his trembling hand, _no way…_

Yuuri felt like he had just been allowed to breathe again after hours without air as he realized that the photograph he was holding was the one he had found in Conrad's room the day before. He still didn't understand how it had gotten into his room, not to mention in his hand, but he was relieved enough that the… err… embarrassing picture wasn't real.

He took another glance at the beautiful picture in front of him. It was strange. Every time he looked at it, he would feel something special, some kind of nice feeling that he couldn't understand. He didn't remember how he had managed to bring it along with him, but he was also sure that the portrait hadn't come from Shin Makoku, a place where camera hadn't even been invented yet. And he was also trying to convince himself that his recent dream was just the reflection of his curiosity about the peaceful picture.

Concluding his thoughts with a break, Yuuri placed the photograph on the table and yanked his blanket away.

As he looked up at the wall in front of him, he quickly realized that his nightmare wasn't over yet.

Attached on the wall was the picture that he had received in his dream from Murata. Not only still having the red ribbon on the top-left side of it, it was also five times bigger than the one he had seen in his dream.

Yuuri might have thought that it had been the worst nightmare he had ever experienced, but actually, the real nightmare hadn't even begun… until he heard firm footsteps of his handsome protector, and most-trusted ally coming closer and closer.

Many people think that us, humans, will not be able to show the best of our efforts unless we (subconsciously) think that it's really necessary to do so. Yuuri had never really thought about it until that time, when he was moving with speed he had never known existed in him; dashing to the wall, taking off the cursed picture, and slipping it under his bed. He was sure he had broken some sort of record by accomplishing the three duties in less than four seconds. And he made it in to his bed just in time as Conrad opened the door and entered the room.

"Good morning, Yuuri. You're up early this morning."

"G… good morning too." The king was just hoping that the man would not notice his dripping sweat.

"…Is something wrong? You look… tired." Conrad considerately turned to get a towel and handed it over to him. As Yuuri nervously reached for the towel from Conrad's hand, he was desperately praying to any Gods who happened to hear him that Conrad would not feel the obvious shakiness of his hands.

"Yes… I mean… no… I… kinda… had a nightmare…" He used the chance to wipe the sweat off. "How embarrassing…that silly dream affected me this much… ha ha ha…"

"Dream?" Conrad smiled, "That reminds me. I went to Ulrike-sama to ask about your dreams a long time ago. I just didn't have the right chance to tell you."

"Really?" Yuuri blinked, "Did you find out what it means?"

"Since you didn't tell me what the dreams were about, I can't really say a lot, but Ulrike-sama wanted to congratulate you on gaining the ability to foretell the future."

The king glanced at the smiling man unbelievingly, "Fore… what?"

"Maou's continuous dreams are signs of the future. They are not always one-hundred percent accurate, but at least, half of the contents usually come true."

A long, pregnant silence filled the room for the next minute.

Being oblivious to his king's shocked expression, Conrad drew closer and widened his smile, "If it's okay with you, may I know what the dreams were about? I'm a bit curious to know how we are all going to be a few years later."

Yuuri soon regained his smile, "Uh, too bad… I can't remember… If only I had known about this, I would have paid more attention."

"I see," Conrad didn't show his disappointment, "Then, I'll be waiting for you outside while you get dressed."

Yuuri tried to keep his smile as he watched Conrad walk out of the room. But as the man's figure disappeared, his smile quickly faded.

…_Signs of the future?_

Yuuri reached under his bed for the picture and pulled it up. He hated to admit it, but it was indeed a wonderful shot. The angle, the lighting, everything was almost perfect. Despite his current discomfort, he looked so willing in the picture. He could even see his arms around Conrad's neck, and Conrad's arms around his waist. It seemed like he and Conrad were in a world of their own, completely content in each other's arms.

Yuuri scolded himself as he tried to imagine how it would feel.

_Isn't it obvious!_ He firmly stood up and inhaled deeply, w_hile kissing another guy, I would never feel…_

His eyes fell on the picture again.

…Happy…?

XXX

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

HEELS OVER HEAD

Final Chapter

A **ConYuu** Fan-fiction

By: **Ami**

Beta-reader: **ProudSnapist **a.k.a** Sherlockian Slytherin**

Alternate Universe. No spoilers.

A sequel, entitled '**Axiomatic'** where the relationship between Conrad and Yuuri gets more serious can be found in my profile.

Standard disclaimers apply.

XXX

Yuuri opened his eyes to find that his surroundings had gone upside-down. While he was trying to recollect his scattered thoughts, he steadily lowered his feet from above his head, where they had somehow ended up during the night. Even after his body performed a full-360, he still hadn't regained his mental equilibrium. He just sat there, on the floor, resting his back on the wall while glancing at a pair of droopy emerald eyes in front of him in utter confusion.

"Such a flexible body you have…" Wolfram remarked with an unimpressed expression, clapping his hands soundlessly, "…to be able to remain sleeping in that position during the night. You truly are the most gifted Maou we've ever had."

"…Thank… you…" Yuuri blinked again, taking the sarcasm as a compliment. He still hadn't quite understood what was happening. Where was he? Why was Wolfram there? What was he doing on the floor? What had just happened? There were so many unanswered questions in his mind, and all he could do was blink, again.

The blond looked exasperated as he climbed down the bed and approached the confused king to help him stand up.

"Come on. You can't possibly intend to stay there forever." He extended a hand and waited patiently until Yuuri was awake enough to help him up. "What kind of dream was it last night that you somehow got in to that kind of position?"

"Something horrible… again… I guess…" Yuuri yawned, taking some time to stretch. Like yesterday, the day before yesterday, and the day before the day before yesterday, and the day before the day before the day before yesterday, his sleep hadn't felt nice at all.

Wolfram folded his arms and frowned, "You know, I think we should discuss this with Gisela or Ulrike-sama. This is getting serious."

"What are you talking about?" the king only laughed at his fiancé's serious face, "It's nothing important. It happens to everyone."

"It's okay when it happens _occasionally_, not when it's every single night." Wolfram retorted, "It has been a week. Try to take this more seriously. It's damaging your health."

Yuuri sighed. He knew that Wolfram was right. Although he had intended to keep the predicament to himself, he was starting to feel uneasy about it. It was strange, because he had never had any sleeping problems before. His sleep used to be nice, long and dreamless, but lately, he had been disturbed by a series of nightmares, its contents varying from chasing black shadows, alien-invasions, stormy floods to flunked math exams. It wasn't limited only to when he was sleeping at night either; the dreams happened during his midday naps too. At first, he had thought that it had been just a common nightmare; but after suffering it for days, it started to tick him off. Thanks to those night-terrors, he only slept for approximately five hours a day, and he found it hard to control his own body while he was sleeping, which had caused several cases of waking up to 'weird morning positions'.

He tried to not show it in front of his family, but he was also at his limit. Both his mind and body were fatigued. He always felt sleepy, worn-out, depressed and bad-tempered. Wolfram's words gave him the confidence to share this problem with the others. It just had to end soon, or he would go insane, sooner or later!

XXX

"_Parasomnia_?"

Most people in the meeting hall seemed to find the phrase foreign. As for Yuuri, he had once heard about it from a magazine.

"One of several types of sleeping-disorders." He repeated from what he had read, "Disorders that intrude into the sleep process and create disruptive sleep-related events. I think it's what is happening to me right now."

"It includes sleepwalking and night terrors." Wolfram added, "As for Yuuri's case, it was a series of nightmares that occur _every_ night."

"Every night!" Cheri exclaimed, "Poor His Majesty!"

"So that's why you haven't been looking well lately." Anissina nodded, "I have also read some articles that is related to this problem. I heard that it was quite serious."

Gwendal remained silent and knitted his brows, looking deep in thought.

"I'll go get Gisela right away to get you examined!" Gunter stood up and rushed to the door.

"Well, I don't think that common doctors are useful in handling this type of case." Anissina spoke in her usual calm stance, "We need a psychiatrist. An excellent one."

"I also think that it's the right time to improve our medical department." Cheri remarked with a rarely heard prudent tone, "All we have here are doctors for physical injuries. They are not enough. We need the ones for our mental health too. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

"I agree." Yuuri nodded, "I have never paid enough attention to this type of problem until now, since I'm suffering through it myself. Now, I can understand why we would need psychiatrists also."

Cheri turned to her first son, "Gwendal, do you think we need to find some…"

"There's no need to." The dark-haired mazoku's words surprised all the people in the room.

"Do you intend to overlook our king's health?" Wolfram seemed disappointed at his big brother's impassiveness.

"Let me finish," Gwendal, still looking calm, lifted up his head to see everyone's faces and started his explanation, "Conrad had asked for my permission to leave the castle two days ago because he was worried for His Majesty's health and seemingly unnoticed disturbed rest. Conrad told me about his concerns and observations, and I refused to believe him. But it seems that all the things he said were true."

Yuuri was surprised. Conrad had also asked for his permission to leave two days before, but the man had not mentioned that his errands had had something to do with his sleeping-disorder.

"I'll come back in three days."

Yuuri could still remember how lonely it had felt when he had had to see Conrad leave, but hearing the real reason made him feel even more touched. He really hoped that Conrad would come back soon. He could remember even now, the warm tone that was purely Conrad as he bid his farewell:

"Don't worry, and take care of yourself."

Yuuri shook his head and brought his attention back to Gwendal's words.

"What did he say?"

"He said that he wanted to meet an old acquaintance, who was also the best psychiatrist in this nation." Gwendal explained, "He was the first to sense His Majesty's illness. He was worried, so he intended to personally see his friend to learn about the proper treatment for this case."

"Oh, always so considerate! That's my son!" Cheri squee-ed happily.

"That's good. Then it means that all we have to do is wait for his return." Anissina smiled, "I'll reread the articles and learn more about this."

Yuuri nodded and smiled. The fact that Conrad was handling this problem for him made him feel a lot better than before. He believed that when the man returned, the nightmares would also vanish.

"You know, Your Majesty, you can always come to my room at night when you're not feeling well." Cheri winked at the flushing boy, "I can cuddle you to sleep. It always worked before with Wolfram."

"Mother!" Wolfram protested, blushing heavily, "That was more than sixty years ago!"

"Ara? Is it true? It feels just like yesterday to me…"

Yuuri tried to hold back his laughter as Wolfram turned and glared at him.

"Let's leave, wimp!"

And he was dragged out of the room without given a chance to protest.

XXX

"You know,"

Yuuri blinked and turned his eyes to the blond to find that Wolfram was frowning at him with a look that he had never seen before. The tense expression on his face made the king feel both uncomfortable and guilty.

"If I had a psychiatrist friend like Weller…" Wolfram's emerald eyes glinted, "I would have gone to find him too."

Yuuri blinked again with the same puzzled face.

"I just want you to know that."

After saying it, Wolfram quickened his steps and ran away, leaving the king alone in a world of perplexity.

XXX

That night, for the first time since his first nightmare, Yuuri went to bed without thinking about his parasomnia.

Wolfram's weird behavior in the morning also kept Yuuri occupied for a while. Lately, especially after his recent accident, the blond had been acting a bit odder than usual. Sometimes he would be very caring and considerate, while at other occasions he would be a real annoyance with his moodiness and unreasonable anger. Despite all the exasperating mood-swings, Yuuri still appreciated the way Wolfram stayed by his side, listening to his problems and gardening with him.

Inhaling deeply, Yuuri opened his eyes again and listened to the silence around him. Due to his sleep-deprivation, he was used to feeling really sleepy at night, but that night, his eyes were wide open. He couldn't stop thinking about the predicaments he were facing. The major one was, surely, his parasomnia, right before Wolfram, and the last...

"_I'll come back in three days."_

Yuuri turned to his side and looked outside the window, frowning. Conrad had promised to come back in three days. It was the third day, and he hadn't returned, nor did he send any news about his whereabouts.

"_Don't worry, and take care of yourself."_

_How am I supposed to not worry?_ He glowered at the blinking stars. I_f you are going to be late, at least send a letter!_

Yuuri could imagine Conrad smiling at his mental scolding, as if he wanted to say that there was nothing he could do.

"_I'll come back in three days."_

Yuuri closed his eyes tightly, trying to calm his own nerves down. He didn't understand why he was getting so agitated by Conrad's departure, since Conrad was obviously capable of taking care of himself.

"_Don't worry, and take care of yourself."_

He opened his eyes in astonishment as he felt a tear run down his face.

XXX

Wolfram could only sigh as he saw Yuuri's worsened face in the morning. The dark shadows around his eyes were more visible, his skin was paler, and he looked more spaced out than usual.

"…Yuuri…"

"Hnn?" The king turned his droopy eyes to the frowning blond, sipping on his water impassively.

"…That's my glass."

"Oh—cough-cough—sorry—cough—" In between his coughs, Yuuri tried to put down his glass back on the table, but ended up letting it slip through his grasp and break in to pieces after smashing on the floor.

Both boys and all the people in the room watched the scene with a heavy feeling in their chests. It had been the fifth day. Conrad hadn't returned, and Yuuri's condition was getting worse each day. Gwendal was unsure if they should wait for Conrad, who hadn't sent any news regarding his whereabouts at all. He believed his brother would eventually return, but would their king be able to wait until that time?

"I'll send a messenger into town to find a psychiatrist for His Majesty today."

The sudden remark from the dark haired mazoku surprised his comrades.

"But, aren't we supposed to wait for Conrad?" Cheri asked, looking concerned, "Hasn't he sent any news?"

"He hasn't. And we can't let His Majesty suffer more than this." Gwendal calmly spoke as he sliced his bread with his knife, "Gunter and I will take care of this. Hopefully, tomorrow we will have a good psychiatrist to cure His Majesty."

"Let me join you."

Wolfram suddenly stood up, staring straight at his brother's eyes intensely, "I want to make sure that my fiancé gets the best psychiatrist."

When Wolfram spoke of Yuuri as his fiancé, even Gwendal was helpless to cross him. As they were engaged, Wolfram had a special right to interfere with Yuuri's matters. Gwendal could understand about his little brother's concern and didn't think it over too much.

"I understand." He answered, "We'll leave the final decision to you. Do your best."

"Thank you." Wolfram nodded and sat back down, stealing a glance at Yuuri who seemed to be having a hard time chewing his food. After a moment of struggling, the king finally gave up and put his fork down.

"…You haven't finished your food." Wolfram told him, looking worried. When Yuuri started losing his appetite, it meant that the illness had gone up to the next level of severity.

"I bit my own tongue last night. It hurts so much. I can hardly taste anything now." Yuuri could still smile even with the bitter tone in his voice. "I got Gisela to look at it before breakfast though. Don't worry."

The blond turned his eyes back to his half-finished food and put his fork down as well. He had also lost his appetite.

That morning, nobody managed to finish their breakfast.

XXX

Yuuri watched quietly as Wolfram, Gwendal and Gunter had an intense interview with one of the psychiatrists. Psychiatry was not common in Shin Makoku, so there were just about twenty of them gathered from neighboring towns, and most of them were poorly skilled.

"What do you mean you don't _exactly_ know how psychological disorders occur in a patient!" Wolfram seemed to get more and more agitated at the trembling man's unsure answers, "Don't you know that you're about to be picked to take care of His Majesty Maou! Do you know the consequence of putting the Maou's health at stake! Can you uphold the responsibility!"

Yuuri cringed and slowly drifted his eyes outside the window. The situation got worse and worse each time as Wolfram progressively got angrier at each failure, that Yuuri felt sorry for the twelve psychiatrists who had been kicked out of the castle in dishonor, despite their nearly zero ability. Most of them hadn't had a proper education in the psychiatric field and relied mainly on their intuition when dealing with their patients.

In less than four hours, all twenty psychiatrists had been sent back to their hometowns. The best had not been found, and the three judges looked quite distressed about it.

"As I expected," Gwendal reached for his stuffed bunny to relieve his nervous tension, "nobody is qualified around here."

"Oh, Shin Maou, why won't you help us?" Gunter struck another saintly pose and was soon lost in the depths of his poetic prayer.

"I'm so sorry, Yuuri." Wolfram looked disheveled and perturbed at his failure, "I'm so sorry…"

"Hey, it's okay." Yuuri tried to smile although each word only caused another sting of pain inside his mouth, "I know Conrad will be back soon and I'm sure he'll be able to cure me."

The blond turned his eyes away, "…I know he will."

"Your Majesty! Your Highness!"

All the people in the room turned their eyes to the door, where an officer carefully stepped forward with an envelope in his hand.

"What is it?" Gwendal asked, frowning.

"This is a letter from Sir Weller, Sir. His messenger has just arrived to deliver this."

Gwendal received the letter, and opened the envelope quietly. Yuuri had risen from his seat and stood beside him, looking eager to read the letter although he could not read Mazoku's letterings well.

After staring at the foreign letters in the paper for a while, the mazoku turned around to Yuuri with a sigh.

"It's for you." he remarked, before lowering his tone in distaste, "_Only_ for you."

Yuuri stared at the piece of paper as if it was the most valuable treasure in the world. His fatigue just vanished as Gwendal handed the letter over to him. How he hoped that it was not one of his dreams!

XXX

Since he had been waiting for so long, Yuuri couldn't help feeling deeply disappointed as he read the letter. There was not even 'dear, Yuuri' in the beginning, and 'love, Conrad' in the end. It just contained a short instruction of how to use the package he had sent along with the letter. Although the brief note was quite disappointing, the package was actually not that bad.

"Here, I hope it's going to work."

Yuuri's eyes gleamed at the sight of the crystal container with the oily liquid in it.

"That one is for daily use. It has the lightest scent. Smell it whenever you start to feel anxious or upset." Gisela explained, "I'll arrange it so the same scent is also going to be used in your bath."

Yuuri nodded, still glancing at the jar excitedly. "What smell is it?"

"I can't be sure. I think it's a mix of various scents." The girl smiled, "I think Sir Weller's friend is the one who created it."

"Really? Is he that good?" Yuuri inhaled the sweet scent again and swooned at the tranquility he felt. _He IS good…_

"He is a multi-talented man, a wonderful psychiatrist. I have met him once three years ago before he moved out to another town. He used to come here to see Sir Weller." Gisela spoke as she packed up her medical equipment, preparing to leave, "He was obsessed with making the most unique scent, so he experimented for years before coming up with this scent."

"Whoa, so you've gone through years of research! No wonder you smell so nice!" The king told his new jar-friend. "But is it really that unique? It smells kind of familiar to me."

"Of course you'll find the scent familiar." Gisela chuckled in amusement, "Because in the end, the man presented the scent to his best friend, Sir Weller, who had helped him a lot during the making. He regularly sends various types of scented bath sets, oils and candles for him. He has even made him swear to wear the scent every day."

Gisela's answer brought Yuuri's slow mind to realization. Yes, how could he have forgotten? It was the scent he smelled everyday when he was around Conrad! Of course it was much fainter, but Yuuri was now sure that it was the same scent.

_Conrad's scent..._ he inhaled the sweet aroma again and smiled in delight. He could feel the older man's presence just by smelling it. He felt refreshed and healed, but the scent also made him miss Conrad even more. He wondered why the man hadn't come home to deliver the package himself. Did he still have other things to do over there? Or did something happen and delayed him so he couldn't come home?

"I wish Conrad would get home soon..." He glanced at the doctor, unable to hide his disappointment, "I wonder what's taking him so long. He didn't say anything in his letter. He could have returned with the package."

"Maybe he wants to spend more time with his friend. After all, they haven't met for years. There're a lot of things to reminisce about." The girl said reassuringly, "Don't worry. I'm sure that he'll be back soon to make sure that your condition gets better."

Yuuri smiled and nodded as he reached down for Conrad's letter. Although it had sounded cold in the beginning, it was actually not that heartless. He could still feel the man's overwhelming concern in each clumsily-written Japanese word.

_He has especially written it in Japanese letters so I can read it,_ Yuuri could not stop smiling as he read each word over and over, _to think about it, only the two of us know how to read and write Japanese here. It's kind of like a secret code…_

"Anyway, I noticed that you talked a lot." Gisela titled her head and returned his smile, "Your mouth doesn't hurt anymore?"

Yuuri blinked. "My mo--oww!" He hissed and promptly brought his hand up to cover his mouth as he was reminded of his pain.

Gisela only laughed in response as she opened her pack again to find the medicine, "I have a feeling that you've been cured. I think you won't have to be worried about those nightmares again tonight."

The king remained silent, still pressing his palm on his lips. He couldn't possibly tell her that he hadn't been worried about nightmares last night. Still, the idea of getting a long, dreamless sleep was indeed tempting. His eyes felt heavy just by thinking about it.

"All right, Your Majesty," Gisela was finally ready with her medicine. Refilling the glass with water, she picked up the small pill with her right hand and turned around to find Yuuri, "Here's your…"

"ZzZzz…Zzz…"

Glancing at the slumbering king with a smile, she quietly repacked her things. Her eyes fell on the piece of paper Yuuri was cuddling as she stood up to leave.

Her smile widened.

XXX

As Yuuri opened his eyes and saw the scenery in front of him, he knew that his nightmare-session was over. It was probably time for nice dreams, finally.

The first thing he did was stand up and scan his surroundings. All he could see was the blue sky and white clouds. He looked down and saw no ground supporting his feet. It kind of felt both strange and pleasant to not be affected by gravity or any other natural laws, so he just stared down for a long time although the everlasting blue-ness was all he could see.

"Finally, I get to meet you again."

Yuuri was surprised that he could actually face the person in front of him with such a calm expression. All the questions he had been keeping in his mind flooded back to him, but he was not in a hurry. He waited until Murata was close enough to him.

"…Murata… I think…"

The fairy paused his steps and looked up to see Yuuri's suddenly tense expression. Something felt unusual.

"I remember everything."

The remark felt like a bucket of icy cold water pouring on Murata's head. He stopped breathing for a while to manage his thoughts. He had known that the time would have eventually come, but it was way earlier than he had expected. Yuuri's power as a Maou shouldn't be underestimated, he guessed. Then he looked up again at the king's overcast eyes and tried to come up with something. If Yuuri really remembered everything, then he must've been feeling very awkward at the moment.

"How do you feel about all of it?" he finally asked carefully, "Are you going to be okay?"

Yuuri closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, "Well, what do you think?" He turned his face away, still with a cloudy expression on his face. "You know that I'm not exactly happy about it. It was a terrible experience."

Murata held back an urge to gape. 'Terrible'? Was that how Yuuri thought about his brief visit to dream world? Was Yuuri really _that_ homophobic?

"That's why…" Yuuri continued, folding his arms, frowning, "I need your apology, right now."

"Apology?" Murata remarked in disbelief. Why would he have to apologize to Yuuri? Well, it was true that he had done _a few_ things to annoy him, but still…

"Yes, an apology." The king emphasized, seeing no proper response from the fairy, "For making me feel miserable for days, I think I deserve it."

"Well, I still don't quite get it how something like _that_ can make you feel so miserable. I thought you enjoyed it." Murata replied, still looking puzzled.

"Which part of it is enjoyable anyway?" Yuuri retorted, "The part when the giant UFO came over my head? Or when Uchida-the-bear swung his _bokken_ around and accused me of cheating in a national Math exam? Or maybe you think because I've been getting used to being swiveled under water than I would appreciate getting drowned in a tsunami?"

Murata made another long thinking face before turning his eyes back to the furious boy and asked quietly, "Are we talking about the same thing here?"

Yuuri stopped and gave him an equally confused stare, "…Are we?"

XXX

"_Nightmares_? _Parasomnia_?" Murata raised his tone, "And you're blaming _me_?"

Yuuri only grinned and bowed his head down and clapped his hands together in apology, "Sorry, sorry. I'm so sorry. I thought it was you for sure, since it happened right after you sent me the picture. I wasn't really mad. It was just a joke. I had wanted to pay you back for that huge picture of me and Conrad you pinned up on the wall."

Murata rolled his eyes and sighed. Half-relieved, since Yuuri hadn't actually regained his memories for real, and half-exasperated at the fact that he, the supposedly master of trickery, had almost been fooled by the Maou's Oscar-worthy performance.

Still smiling at the king, a pair of fangs appeared between Murata's lips as the fairy made a mental note to give as good as he got when he got a chance.

"Strange..." Yuuri muttered and made a thinking face, "If it wasn't you, what could have caused the nightmares?"

Murata looked up to the glorious blue sky with a choir singing gospel in his ears. Keeping his smiling poker face on, he looked back down to meet the king's puzzled face.

"I think I know why."

"Really?" The Maou blinked in excitement, "Can you tell me?"

"Uh… but…" The fairy feigned the hesitancy on his face, "Since I'm in some way at fault here, I don't know if it's a good idea to tell you…"

"I'm not going to blame you!" Yuuri quickly answered, "Please just tell me what it is. I won't be mad."

Making a cross sign with his fingers behind his back, Murata began his long, long tale...

XXX

Early that morning, some of the people in the castle saw the odd sight of Wolfram running down the corridor towards a certain direction. Some of them might stop for a moment only to make sure that their eyes weren't playing tricks on them, some were conscious enough to send their greetings (despite getting no response), and some of the more curious ones readied themselves to follow him to confirm their suspicions.

"His Majesty's room, for sure." One of the maids whispered to her friend, still spying on the hurried blond, "He misses him so much that he can't wait until breakfast time!"

She and her two friends paused for a while to squee before resuming their spying, like professional ninjas on a reconnaissance.

Wolfram was more annoyed than surprised as he stumbled upon Gunter in front of the king's chamber. He wanted to be the first person to know about Yuuri's condition after his first day of the treatment, and the older mazoku in front of him seemed to have the very same motive.

"You're going to see Yuuri?" he asked, despite the obvious answer.

Gunter only nodded weakly. His rumpled appearance and the dark lines around his eyes indicated how he had spent his night worrying over His Majesty. Wolfram was sure that if he hadn't been deep in his slumber, he would've somehow heard the man's theatrical sound system from across the castle.

"What are the two of you doing here?"

The two devoted members of the Maou worshippers-club turned around to find Gwendal already with a frown on his face.

"Brother!" Wolfram exclaimed, not expecting his brother's presence here.

"And what are _you_ doing here?" Gunter shot back, causing the other man's cheeks to flame.

Stepping forward between his brother and the snickering man, he finally answered, "…I just wanted to make sure that the treatment worked. It might work for other people too."

"I see…" Gunter didn't seem very convinced, especially after he spotted a cute handmade 'pig' doll with a 'Get well soon!' greeting card attached to it that Gwendal had been hiding behind his back.

"Ooh, another cute piggie!" Cheri, who suddenly appeared from behind, deftly seized the doll from her bewildered son and cuddled it lovingly. "Oh, I'm sure that His Majesty is going to love this cute little thing! Right, _Buta_-kun?"

Gwendal's expression remained stoic as he skillfully snatched the stuffed animal back, "_Usagi_-chan is a _rabbit_."

Wolfram rolled his eyes.

"Well then, since everybody is here, let's just go in and see how His Majesty is doing." Anissina, whose arrival had been undetected, suddenly took control of the doorknob and pushed it open.

As the door was finally open, everyone seemed to refrain from rushing in. But in the end, curiosity won the battle. Setting troublesome dignities aside, they raced towards the Yuuri's bed.

"Your Majesty!" They choired, ignoring the fact that they were all barging in to the king's chamber, "How are you…"

And all of them froze at the sudden gloomy, cold aura in the room. Gwendal seemed to be the luckiest, since he still had his cute Usagi-chan to keep him from being frozen to death.

"W-w—what---in Shin Maou—" Wolfram gritted his teeth and looked outside the window to see if the sun was still there. It indeed was, but it didn't seem to be sending any warm rays into the room. "H—How about His Majesty?"

Then all eyes were immediately turned to a certain figure in the bed. The cold aura seemed to be converged there, where their king was sitting up, glaring at his right forearm as if he wanted to burn a hole there. Faintly, they could hear him muttering something about 'no way', 'it's not like that', 'it can't be happening', and others of that kind.

As Yuuri turned his head up and glared at them, they simultaneously took a step backward, as if they were afraid if he might discharge a laser beam from his eyes.

"H-how are you doing—Your Majesty?" Gunter managed to voice, although it had sounded much weaker than usual.

They took another united step backward as Yuuri slowly rose and climbed down the bed. Better safe than sorry. They were not even sure if it was still their goofy king or the infamously temperamental Maou.

"I…"

The group held back a gasp as their king raised his hand and stumbled towards them.

_He's possessed!_ Wolfram screamed in his mind, and he soon realized that he had also screamed it out loud. His comrades gaped at him before turning their eyes back to the king and gasping in unison.

"So, what do we do now!" Gunter asked, looking terrified.

"Exorcism!" Cheri blurted out.

"Anissina Soft's Anti-Stupid-Ghost 1.98 BETA!" The other woman firmly suggested.

"Not the BETA version!"

"Call Ghostbusters!" (…)

"Van Hellsing!" (… …)

"Abel Nightroad!" (… … …)

"Vash de Stampede!" (… … … …?)

"Uzumaki Naruto!" (………………………………………?)

Fortunately, one person was still sane enough among the chaos.

"Forget those people. Let's just get Ulrike-sama and ask her how to help His Majesty." Gwendal remarked calmly. In a moment, they had all exited the room and had sprinted towards the same direction, while a certain king was still standing in his place, wondering what had happened while he had been asleep.

XXX

The wildflower field had become Yuuri's secret hideout for some time. He always secretly went there by himself when he wanted to be left alone for a short while. It was located at the back of the castle, not far in the forest. Although it was an open field, the breeze felt cool and the trees were sheltering him from the stinging midday sun. Yuuri always felt grateful that he had been able to find such a nice place to relax. Since he hadn't told anybody about the place, it became even more private than his own room.

As his eyes were diverted from the blossoming flowers to his right arm, his frown returned. He could hear Murata's voice challenging him:

"Are you going to bet on it?"

He carefully folded his sleeve, making the handwritings visible to his eyes. Then the event from that night dawned back on him.

"Are you going to bet on it?"

He didn't know if he could trust Murata, but everything he had said made sense. It was hard not to believe, although it was equally difficult to accept it. If only it had been a mere 'nightmare', it would have been a lot easier to ignore it. But the handwritings Murata had placed on his arm had come true. He could see it clearly with his very eyes. And he knew that it was not an ordinary dream.

"The breeze feels so nice here."

Yuuri quickly turned around in horror to find his predecessor standing there, smiling gently at the wind blowing through the forest.

"You have found a nice spot, Your Majesty. Can I go to this place too sometimes?" The lady asked as she walked to his side and sat down, for once, ignoring the fact that her beautiful dress was going to get stained.

Yuuri nodded, almost absent-mindedly. He hadn't expected Cheri's presence at his hideout.

Realizing that the ex-Maou's eyes were fixed on the writings on his forearm, he protectively held it back and pulled his long sleeve down. He knew that Cheri couldn't read Japanese letterings, but still, it still felt awkward to let another person look at it. She would have fainted on the spot if she had been able to read it. Murata's voice kept on with their persistent echoing:

"Are you going to bet on it?"

Yuuri closed his eyes and mentally blamed Murata for everything.

"I was supposed to stay and watch over you while the others went for help." Cheri explained, "Then I saw you walking to this place. So I followed."

"What happened anyway? Why were you all looking so terrified at me?" Yuuri asked.

"We came to see if the treatment worked. But you were acting strange. So we thought you were possessed." The lady replied, brushing some strands of blond hair out of her eyes, "Are you feeling okay now?"

"Yes, of course. But next time, ask me before jumping to conclusions."

Cheri only giggled before turning her eyes back to the flower field.

Yuuri took some time to look into Cheri's eyes. The lady looked so similar to Wolfram. She spent most of her time traveling to find 'love' (as she had said), so he had never had a lot of chances to be alone with her before. It felt a bit awkward to find something to say.

…_Wait; did I say 'love'?_ Yuuri turned his eyes back to the smiling lady beside him, blinking at disbelief.

Now, here was a love doctor beside him! How could he not use this chance to ask?

"…Umm… Cheri-sama…" He started hesitantly, "…You… you're so beautiful… so… you must have a lot of experience with… love."

"Oh, you've learned to talk like Conrad. It's so sweet." The lady giggled as she placed an arm around the trembling king, "I think you'll make a fine gentleman like him. You'll make me proud."

"Uh… yes… thank you…" Yuuri continued, inhaling deeply, "Umm… can I discuss something private with you?"

Cheri blinked and smiled widely, "Sure. I'll keep it a secret. You have my word."

"Well… uh… actually… this is about a friend of mine…" Lame. So lame. Yuuri knew it. But he had no choice. He was really embarrassed. "He… has a person… he likes. I mean, as a friend… but the person is away at this moment and he kind of misses him… Even before the person left, he has been having a problem… sleeping at night."

The queen's expression didn't change. Still smiling sweetly, she listened to the story carefully.

"He was so troubled with his sleeping problem, so he went to ask a friend of his about it…" Yuuri brought one hand to his right forearm, clutching his sleeve nervously as he talked, "Then that friend of his said…"

"_Actually, nightmares come to people with troubled minds. They are reflections of your anxiety and your fears. That's why easy-going people rarely have nightmares."_

"Hmm… okay then? What did you… I mean, your friend say?" Cheri asked.

"Since he didn't think that he had any big problems at the time, he said that it wasn't true. There had to be another cause." The king took another deep breath and tried to relax, "But his friend insisted, and he also said that he knew what the problem actually was."

The lady nodded and smiled again, "It has something to do with love?"

Yuuri turned his eyes away and nodded sheepishly, "He… he said…"

The fairy's voice rang loud and clear in his mind, reminding him of Murata's implications.

"_The nightmares started right after I sent you the picture. Although you tried to ignore it, your subconscious mind kept thinking about it and reflected its apprehension in nightmares." Murata really enjoyed the terrified expression in Yuuri's face. "You were worried because you actually liked what you saw in the picture. You were worried because you were not supposed to like it. But you could not suppress your own feelings. In other words…"_

"…Because my friend loved the person who he misses so much… but my friend didn't want to admit it… and that was what was causing his nightmares."

Yuuri had rendered the ex-Maou speechless. She only stared at the king beside her with a disbelieving expression.

_So what Anissina said is true…_ She soon regained her smile, _the person he actually loves… is…_

"So," the king, still looked nervous, turned his eyes to the unblinking lady, "do you think what the friend of my friend said is true? My friend has really fallen in love with… that person?"

Overcoming her recent shock, Cheri gently brushed Yuuri's back with her hand, like the way she had always done to soothe Wolfram during stormy nights. She smiled in relief as she felt the king relax at her touch. He seemed to really need it at the moment.

"How about you?" She carefully asked, "How do you see this problem?"

"Well, I…" Yuuri sighed again, "…don't know. Because… my friend has known this person for a long time… and he has never felt anything like this before… can those feelings just emerge from nothing?"

"My twentieth boyfriend was my childhood friend." Cheri explained, "And I had just recently realized that he was cool. I fell instantly in love with him."

"So, it's possible?"

Cheri pitied Yuuri's pleading eyes. It seemed that he was hoping for her to answer negatively. But she couldn't possibly lie, for his own sake.

"Yes," she gently replied, "but I have to say that those feelings do not emerge from nothing. Maybe he has adored the person for a long time, but he had never thought of him as anything other than a friend."

It seemed hard for Yuuri to accept it, but he also could not find any real flaw in her words.

"Then, when something made him look at the person in a new light… Poof! Like magic, those feelings suddenly surfaced, and he was shocked." Cheri spoke so carefully like she was speaking to an eight-year-old who had just experienced his first crush. "It's normal to feel strange. Especially when we realize that we have fallen for our own friend we have known for a long time. It must be quite awkward."

Yuuri nodded, almost subconsciously.

"Still, whether it's a stranger we barely know or a life-long friend… love is still love." The lady brought a hand up to brush the king's reddening cheek, "Do not deny it."

Cheri's last words gave Yuuri the strongest blow to his chest. He felt like a prisoner who had just regained his freedom. His eyes were opened, so was his mind. It didn't take long for his genuine smile to return.

"Thank you." Was all he could say, glancing at the beautiful queen's eyes lovingly, "For everything."

With a rare wisdom in her tone, the blonde replied, "You're welcome."

XXX

"_Are you going to bet on it?" Murata magically produced a marker with his magic wand. "Whether you love Sir Conrad or not?"_

_Still having many colors on his face after his recent shock, the king braced himself to nod. "I'm going to win for sure. How are we going to do it?"_

"_It's going to be simple…with this," The fairy held the marker like a salesman who was trying to advertise his newest product to the customers, "The Magic Marker, an easy way to answer your doubts, special from Fairy World."_

_Murata didn't let Yuuri stare at the marker for too long. Deftly, he reached for Yuuri's right arm and folded his long pajama sleeve to his bicep. Ignoring the other party's shriek, he brought the marker down and started scribbling something on Yuuri's forearm. When Yuuri finally managed to release himself, Murata was done._

"_There," he smiled widely, looking satisfied at his handiwork, "You're all set."_

"_What… what have you done to me!" Yuuri glanced at his forearm in panic. The clumsy hiragana writings on it made his eyes widen in shock. A big 'DO I LOVE CONRAD?' statement was written on his forearm._

"_What the-" He lifted his face up and glared at the grinning fairy, "-What's the meaning of this! If Conrad sees it, I'm dead!"_

"_Wait, relax. Listen to me." Murata calmly remarked, "I haven't explained the use of this marker to you."_

"_It'd better be really useful!" Yuuri still looked infuriated._

"_In fact, it is." The fairy smiled victoriously, "The marker was specially made so that it would be able to read your genuine feelings. Unlike your tongue, it does not lie."_

"_And your point is?" Yuuri frowned. He also didn't like to lie._

"_All we have to do is write our question on a part of our body, and then read it when we're ready for the answer." Murata explained, "There are only two answers: yes or no. If the writings disappear, the answer is 'yes', and if they remain, the answer is 'no'. As long as you don't ask, it will remain, but I have a special spell to know whether you have really asked or not. So don't think about cheating. If I win, you will have to confess as soon as possible. And if you win, I will never mention this case anymore."_

_Yuuri gaped down at the writings. He hadn't expected such a frontal, direct confrontation!_

"_It's actually okay to try it when you're alone, but I recommend you to do it in Sir Conrad's presence. It'll make a more accurate answer if you do it that way." Ignoring the obvious horror on his master's face, Murata continued, "I'll come back in three days to see if the writings are still there or not. Then we'll decide who the winner is."_

XXX

Yuuri was still staring down at the writings in silence. At times, he would look up to the distance to see if the man he had been waiting for had arrived. But like yesterday, and the day before yesterday, there was no sign of Conrad's arrival at all. His messenger had been sent back to him with a letter regarding the failure of the aromatherapy set (Gwendal wrote, "His Majesty's condition gets worse. He acted like he was possessed. Come home NOW or else…"). The recent letter was also the last trace of Conrad's presence, since he hadn't sent anything else since then.

Feeling the stress building up, he reached inside his pocket for his precious jar. Even in the worst circumstances, it could always make him feel better.

_This is the last day of the deal,_ Yuuri glanced back at the writings on his right forearm, _if Conrad does not come home tonight, I'll have to confirm it myself._

He rested his back on the wall again and sighed. The guards had offered him a seat and shelter from the sun several times, but he had rejected both offers politely. Sitting made him feel more fidgety, and the shelter made it impossible for him to see Conrad's arrival from faraway. Since he only had his chance to wait there during his breaks from Gunter's lessons, at least, he wanted to use the time more efficiently.

"…There you are, again."

As the king turned to his back and saw his frowning fiancé, he mentally moaned. Wolfram had been the only one who had been complaining about this the most. "You'll be tired!", 'You'll get sunburn!", "It's stupid to stand outside when you can wait inside more comfortably!", "Ask somebody else to wait here and report to you when he comes!", he had heard them all from his mouth. But he hadn't budged from his spot. He was determined to stand there and wait for Conrad, even if it meant sacrificing his break time. He could only feel relaxed when he knew that he'd be able to see Conrad as soon as possible.

"The break is over?" He asked.

"No. But this time, I intend to get you back inside, even it means that I have to drag you."

Yuuri tried to remain calm at the threat. Wolfram's temper just got worse and worse ever since he had told him about his plan to wait for Conrad there. Eyeing his waist and seeing no sword, Yuuri felt a bit more relieved.

"Please, let me stay here a bit longer," he tried using his oldest and most surefire method to make Wolfram change his mind: begging. "It's cloudy today. The weather is not too hot. I'm not going to get sunburn."

"No." The blond glared at him threateningly, "In, NOW."

"But, Wolfram…"

"Just what are you thinking! Why should you wait here, hurt yourself, only for that heartless bastard!" Wolfram snapped, "He promised he'd be back in three days, but he isn't here! He lied to you!"

"Listen," Yuuri inhaled deeply, collecting the pieces of his patience in his mind, "I'm sure that Conrad has his own reasons for coming home late. I don't mind at all. Besides, he sent a letter and the package for me."

"We sent a messenger and asked him to come home. It's the third day and why do you think he isn't here? He's ignoring us!"

"No, he's not like that!" Yuuri raised his tone, "The messenger said that it took two days to reach this place. Even if he rushes, it will take at least one day and a half to get home!"

"If you knew that, why have you been waiting for him since the very first day?" Wolfram retorted, "You knew that he would not be back until at least the fourth day! So why wait here now?"

"Just in case he returns earlier than expected," The king quickly replied, "I want to meet him as soon as possible."

The answer only enraged Wolfram more. Flushing and trembling in anger, the blond grabbed his fiancé's hand and tried to drag him inside. But Yuuri stood firm at his place. Wolfram's ferocity had caused him to lose his already thin patience. He became even more determined to win the battle and stay there.

"That's enough!" He finally snapped back. Wolfram looked shocked at the way he had yelled at him. "I know that you're worried about me and I appreciate it, but it's my decision to stay here! If you really care about me, you should be able to understand!"

"How am I supposed to understand! You've never told me the reason!"

Wolfram's glassy eyes returned Yuuri to his senses, reminding him that he shouldn't have yelled like that, since the boy was only concerned about his well-being. It was true. He had never told Wolfram the real reason for his efforts, but how he was supposed to? Wouldn't it be a painful betrayal? Dear Shin Maou, he was too young for this complicated love predicament!

"Uh… Wolfram… Listen," He inhaled deeply and tried again, "I am so sorry for losing my patience. I can understand about your concerns, but… I'm not going to go inside until my break time is over."

"And," Yuuri resumed before Wolfram had his chance to protest, "please don't talk like that about your brother again. I know, you know, we both know that he's not heartless. He cares about you, and me. He doesn't deserve such treatment from you. I'm sure that it hurts him deeply."

For a moment, Wolfram looked like he was about to snap. But after another moment of silence between them, Yuuri exhaled in relief to see that the blond had calmed down. Little did he know that Wolfram was struggling to keep his legs steady. He didn't see how the blond pitifully trembled at his previous remarks. He didn't see. He couldn't feel it. Nothing hurt Wolfram more than that fact.

_I can't stand this anymore,_ Wolfram decided in his mind, as he slowly took a step backward and turned around to leave.

Yuuri only noticed it when Wolfram got out of his range, "W-wait, Wolf---"

"…You've never stopped thinking about him, have you?" Wolfram muttered weakly before raising his speed and disappearing in to the castle.

As the guilt started to pollute his mind, Yuuri reached down for his jar again.

XXX

It was nearing midnight, Yuuri was wide awake and the writings were still there. He had been too busy thinking about Wolfram (who had refused to speak or look at him throughout the day) to fulfill the bet and ask.

_Stupid bet,_ he glanced at his arm in disgust, _I should have never agreed to this nonsense._

Deciding to not ask and tell Murata to abort the bet, he rested his head back on the pillow, closing his eyes, trying to fall asleep.

Just when he was about to fall asleep, he jolted awake as he heard the sound of a horse from outside. There was only one thing on his mind: Conrad was finally home!

Forgetting about his previous intention to ignore the bet, he ran outside, going straight to the front gate.

He could feel both his heart and his stomach quiver as he spotted the man he had been achingly waiting for standing there. Although Conrad looked worn out, it seemed that he was not injured. It brought so much relief to Yuuri's tightening chest.

Not wasting anymore time, he looked down at his arm and muttered the question.

XXX

The expression on Conrad's face when he noticed the presence of his king was simply priceless. He stood there gaping at Yuuri's state of undress. Especially that Yuuri was still wearing his pajamas, and had gone out bare-foot. Was it one of the 'possessed attitudes' Gwendal had mentioned in his letter?

Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to think. A moment after he made his first step to approach the king, Yuuri looked up at him and smiled in utter joy. And before he realized it, the boy was already in his arms, embracing him so tightly that it hurt.

"…Yuuri?" His tone was questioning. His arms had betrayed his mind as they were wrapped around the slender frame gently. "What are you doing here?"

"It remains…"

He could hear the soft, repeated mutter.

"It remains… it didn't disappear…"

Conrad looked down at the boy in puzzlement, but Yuuri couldn't care less. He just wanted to savor the moment and share his happiness and relief and everything with the man.

"Yuuri?" The brunet tried again, "Is something wrong? Are you feeling better now?"

Yuuri nodded, still burying his face in the other man's warm neck. "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you for so long."

"I…" Conrad opened his mouth to answer, but never resumed his statement. "…Sorry."

Yuuri smiled, closing his eyes, feeling relaxed with the strong arms around him, "Don't apologize."

"Sorry… I mean…" Conrad awkwardly shifted as Yuuri pressed more of his weight on his body, "I…"

It took him a while to realize that the king had fallen asleep.

As soon as he managed to regulate his pounding heart and uneven breaths, he carefully carried the boy up and entered the castle.

Behind him, a group of ConYuu worshippers cheered, celebrating their recent victory.

XXX

Yuuri really enjoyed the look on Murata's face when he showed him the writings were still on his arm.

"See?" He grinned widely, "It's still right there. Maybe you want to see it more closely? You can glare at it as long as you want."

"This is not possible…" Murata moaned in disappointment, still glancing at Yuuri's arm in disbelief, "Okay… I guess… I lost."

Yuuri whooped happily at the admission of defeat. "Great! Yes! I won!"

The fairy sighed again as he rose up and folded his arms, "As I have promised, I will not mention this anymore. I will never send you something like that picture again."

The boy nodded happily, "Great! You'd better keep your promise!"

"Of course I will." Murata regained his smile.

"By the way, how do I make these writings disappear? I can't possibly have them on my arm all the time." Yuuri asked.

"Just wash it with this." Murata handed over a jar of some mysterious liquid. "But be careful and don't lose it. Other than getting a 'yes' answer, it can't wear off with common liquid."

"I understand."

"It's almost dawn. I have to leave now. I have to cook breakfast for my brother." Murata looked down at his imaginary wristwatch, "He's really busy, even busier than me. When he has the time, I'll take him with me to meet you. Is that okay?"

"Sure," Yuuri smiled and waved his hand, "Take care."

"Take good care of yourself too, Shibuya." Murata returned his smile, "Say hello to Sir Conrad for me."

XXX

As if the previous event was not enough, Conrad was once more shocked by the presence of his little brother in front of his room. He knew that Wolfram was not there to greet him 'welcome home' from the moment their eyes met.

_Should I give it now?_ He looked down to his pack.

Wolfram was still glaring at him, seeming to have difficulties to let his feelings out through words. They only stood there and stared at each other for the next minute, before Wolfram decided to take his leave without saying anything. But it seemed that Conrad wasn't planning to do so.

"Wait, Wolfram."

It felt so exasperating to Wolfram that he could not control his reflexes. Despite their broken relationship, the man was still his older brother. Especially after what had happened between he and Yuuri, it was probably the only reason why he paused and waited there until Conrad reached Wolfram and stood in front him.

"…Here, for you."

Wolfram widened his eyes in disbelief, before lifting his head up to meet his brother's eyes again. He hated how his anger faltered at the sight.

"What are you---"

"The reason why I stayed there for so long…" The half-mazoku calmly explained, "…To finish this for you."

The small crystal jar was already in his hold, but Wolfram still looked confused.

"But… why…"

"Because you need it, even more than His Majesty does." Conrad smiled at him, "I hope you'll find it useful… to soothe your feelings down."

Wolfram's hand was trembling as he brought the jar up to his nose. It smelled so nice that his eyes started to water.

"You…" The more he tried to brush it off with his sleeve, the tears just kept falling down, releasing his anger and frustrations out. "You…" He quietly sobbed, not wanting Conrad to see him crying. "I… hate you so much…"

"…I know." Conrad reached for his handkerchief and gently brushed the tears off his little brother's pretty eyes, ignoring his weak struggle.

"You…"

"Don't move. It's hard to see."

"I don't want you to see!"

Conrad let out another sigh, this time, followed by an amused smile. "I know. Then I won't look."

Wolfram stopped struggling, still pouting cutely. His voice sounded like the ringing of church bells to Conrad as he weakly muttered.

"…Thank you… Brother."

XXX

Yuuri had never woken up with such a light feeling before. He felt like he could do anything.

_I'll apologize to Wolfram today,_ he firmly made up his mind as he climbed down his bed, _and I'll also visit my garden. Maybe the flowers have also blossomed…_

Getting excited about his plans, he didn't realize that one of his feet was still tangled on his blanket. His eyes widened in horror as he felt his body tumble down. He fell flat on his face.

"Ouch…" He slowly looked up to meet a pair of emerald eyes, looking down at him mockingly. "…Wolfram?"

"…Something is definitely wrong with your sleeping style." The boy commented impassively as he extended a hand to the bewildered king. Yuuri accepted the offered help gratefully. It made him feel so relieved that Wolfram had seemed to have regained his good mood.

"Thanks," Yuuri cheerfully remarked, "Huh? You smell different today. What are you using?"

"It has nothing to do with you." The blond turned his face away, folding his arms in his usual superior stance. "It's late. Hurry up get dressed and go to the dining room. Everyone's waiting."

"Oh, okay." Yuuri rushed to his dresser to find his usual attire. Knowing what was coming next, Wolfram flushed and turned around.

"…Wimp…" He called, almost soundlessly.

"Yes?" Yuuri replied as he buttoned up his shirt.

"I'msorryforyesterday."

Yuuri turned around to find that Wolfram had left the room.

His smile bloomed.

XXX

Everyone in the dining room looked happy that their king's spirits had been renewed. They could already feel it through his vibrant 'good morning', and the way his eyes shone at the sight of that day's special breakfast.

"Where's Conrad?" Yuuri asked the moment he noticed one empty seat.

"Maybe he's still sleeping." Cheri answered him, smiling brightly, "He just arrived last night. He must be very tired now. I asked the maid to send the food to his room."

"He arrived when you were still asleep." Gwendal frowned at him, "So how did you know that?"

"Uh…" Yuuri rolled his eyes and smiled playfully as he got seated, "…Intuition?"

Nobody clapped their hands but Gunter.

A moment before breakfast officially started, the last member of the family entered the room, smiling at everyone's curious eyes on him.

"Sorry, I overslept." He calmly explained as he approached his seat, "Did I miss anything?"

"Oh yes, you did!" Gunter replied before everybody else could, "His Majesty knew about your presence before we informed him! Such sharp insight! He's so wonderful!"

Conrad chuckled softly as he turned his eyes to the grinning Maou, communicating their amusement without a word.

"Okay, can we start now? I'm starving!" Yuuri glanced down at his food and tried to grasp his fork. It slipped off his grip and rolled to Wolfram's side. Both boys noticed it and held out their hands to reach for the fork. It was when Yuuri's hand accidentally knocked Wolfram's glass over and drenched both his sleeve and Wolfram's lap.

"Argh, look what you've done!" The blond glared at him angrily as he stood up and stormed out of the room to get changed.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Gunter attentively approached him, "You have to get changed."

Yuuri looked down at his own sleeve and smiled, "It's okay." He folded his wet part of the sleeve up, "It's just…"

_The writings are still there!_ He quickly pulled the sleeve back down and turned his eyes to Conrad nervously. Lucky for him, the man didn't seem to notice.

"I---I'm going to get changed!"

He stood up and rushed out of the room, ignoring everyone's puzzled look at his sudden change of mind.

XXX

As he reached his room, Yuuri quickly approached his bed to find the cleanser Murata had given him. His eyes shimmered as he spotted the precious jar under his pillow.

"There you are!" He grabbed his number two jar-friend and spent some time staring at it happily. It was lucky for him to have knocked the glass over that he had been reminded about it. As Murata had said, the writings would only disappear with a 'yes' answer or that liquid.

He carefully opened and sniffed it. He couldn't smell anything. It was like normal water to him.

…_Let's give it a try._

He folded his drenched sleeve to find his stained forearm. But he found nothing.

He spun his arm around, and still couldn't see the writing.

"No way…" His heart started to race as he folded his other sleeve and once more, found nothing.

He froze at his place, staring down at the floor disbelievingly. Murata's words came back to his mind.

"_Other than getting a 'yes' answer, it can't wear off with common liquid."_

Yuuri glanced down at his right forearm again to confirm it. His untainted skin seemed to be mocking him. Suddenly, he couldn't feel his legs anymore.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?"

Yuuri could have sworn that he heard the sound of cheery laughter somewhere near him when Conrad entered the room and approached him.

_No way…_ He braced himself to turn around and meet the brunet's eyes. _I can't be in love with…_

The loud pounding in his chest betrayed his mind. It was like his inner organs were having a summer festival down there.

"Yuuri, what's wrong?"

The king held his breath as Conrad drew closer and closer to him. It felt like his whole body had refused to cooperate with his brain. His heart would not listen to his frantic command to calm down. His legs turned down his order to stand up. His lungs kept drawing short breaths no matter how sternly he told them to not make him look so pathetically torn.

"What happened? Please, talk to me."

Yuuri mentally groaned as Conrad knelt in front of him, looking at his desperate expression with utter concern. He was not helping at all! Of all days, why did he have to choose that cursed day to look more handsome than usual!

…_That's not what I should be thinking about!_

Yuuri clutched his head in exasperation. And now, even his brain seemed to have chosen to side with his disloyal organs! What kind of king was he? He couldn't even control his own body!

"I… I'm… okay…"

Conrad was now looking at him in slight puzzlement. He wondered what kind of face he was showing at the moment, but he was sure that it had to be ugly enough to make the man's face blink so cutely—Arrgggh! When did he start calling another man 'cute'! Stupid brain! Stupid mind! Stupid thoughts! I don't need any of you anymore!

"Maybe you'll feel better after getting some rest."

Yuuri gasped loudly as he felt Conrad's arms on his body, carrying him up bride-style to the bed. He used the very brief chance to snuggle closer to Conrad's broad chest and feel his strong muscles. Conrad was so well-built that it had often made him feel envious, but that day, all he wanted was the moment to last.

Sadly, there was an end to every beginning. It didn't take Conrad very long to reach their—I mean, his bed. Yuuri bit back his disappointment as the warmth left him.

"Here, use your blanket." The brunet considerately pulled the previously folded blanket over the king's body and made sure that Yuuri was comfortable with it. Obviously, he was not aware of the way his patient's eyes were roaming various parts of his body, and that he was the very reason for Yuuri's flaming cheeks.

_Is he still sick? But he looked just fine a moment ago…_ He ran his fingers over the king's forehead, roaming down to his neck to get a better measurement of the rising temperature.

Looking at how sincere Conrad was worrying about him made Yuuri feel guilty for having those immoral thoughts about the chaste touch. But it was out of his control. His eyes and his mind did their job without consulting whether it was proper or not.

"How are you feeling?" The man asked, the back of his hand still feeling for the king's temperature.

"Uh… I feel kinda…" _Aroused._ "…sick."

"Are you cold?"

"Well… actually…" _It's as hot as hell here!_ "…Yes, a bit."

Yuuri nervously watched as Conrad drew back his hand and made a thinking face.

"It seems that you caught a cold…" He mistook Yuuri's apprehension for his concern about his health, "Don't worry. It will be okay. I'll go get Gisela-san right away to get you examined."

Yuuri nodded weakly, while repeating the same prayer in his mind over and over for Gisela's absence.

Still being totally oblivious to the circumstances, Conrad stood up and was about to walk away. Then his eyes suddenly fell on Yuuri's still-drenched sleeve. Without a second thought, those magiccal words just flowed out easily from his mouth.

"Do you want me to help you undress?"

The last blow was more than Yuuri could take.

He fainted on the spot with swirling eyes and a major nosebleed.

XXX

Meanwhile, far away in Fairy's World, a certain fairy and his stepbrother were looking down on Shin Mazoku and laughing their hearts out.

XXX

OWARI


End file.
